Let me introduce myself, my name is Michaela Wickham-Hills and I am a family and systemic psychotherapist (I’ll come back to that shortly) based in Central Bedfordshire. More importantly I was born in Wales and despite not living there for around 40 years, a part of me will remain there always, a passion of mine you might say. Perthynas is the Welsh word for relationship and I am also passionate about relationships of all kinds. Relationships between, for example; individuals, families, communities and organisations and all that creates the world around these entities; love, grief, education, authority, culture, spirituality, substances, health, trauma to name just a few.
For the last 30 years I have worked extensively in mental health and criminal justice, both in their own right and when, as they often do, intersect. I strive to offer an authentic approach that can both challenge and nurture those I am privileged to have the opportunity to work with. My experience has been with a range of different client groups, primarily children, adolescents, adults, couples and families, but also with older adults and organisations.
Along my journey I have also worked (both paid and voluntarily) in retail, catering, market research, youth work, conservation and hospitality. All of which have contributed invaluably to my development as a therapist.
Contact meSystemic psychotherapy is an approach that does not see the individual as existing in isolation but rather part of the systems around them. Any difficulties that occur are explored within this framework, as are opportunities for change.
A lot of systemic psychotherapists work primarily as family therapists, engaging with multiple members of a family in looking for and taking opportunities for change within this system. Whilst this is part of what I do, I understand that it isn’t always possible to get everyone together and believe that working with any part of a system can afford opportunities for exploration and change hence working with individuals, couples and organisations as well as families.
You can read a little more about this in the leaflet provided by the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT).
My fees currently start at £80 per 1 hour session, face to face appointments may incur an extra cost for room hire. However I believe finances should not present a barrier to therapy so please do contact me to discuss if this is the case.
I offer a free 30 minute consultation by phone or Zoom to discuss the detail and to see if we are a good fit for one another.
Sessions will ordinarily last about 1 hour and mostly take place over Zoom but please contact me to discuss alternatives such as in person sessions in the Leighton Buzzard area.
I don’t offer sessions on Fridays or Saturdays but outside of this I am flexible in terms of timings to suit your needs so please do get in touch to discuss.
I have professional indemnity insurance and subscribe to the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Update Service.
I have a Master of Arts degree in systemic psychotherapy, training at The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. I am a member of the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT) and am registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), registration No. 2011182893.
I studied for my undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire where I was awarded a BSc Hons (1st Class) in Mental Health Nursing. As such I am registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Registered Nurse Mental Health.
I want to acknowledge that making the decision to pursue therapy or counselling, choosing a therapist, commencing and going through therapy will be different for everyone. For some it might be an exciting, liberating experience. For others it may feel exposing, vulnerable and anxiety provoking, making it difficult to embark on the journey. This is not unusual, you’re not alone if you feel like this or indeed if you feel a mixture of all the above.
It is ok to take your time making a decision, don't feel pressured to go with the first therapist you meet, take advantage of free consultations to see if you and the therapist are a good fit and ask any questions you may have, even after the consultation you can send a message if something else comes up.
This is your journey, you are entitled to choose who comes along with you.
Please get in touch with me using the email address below. I will get back to you as soon as possible and look forward to discussing the next steps of your therapy journey with you.
The information you provide will only be used to respond to your enquiry.
Email: michaela@perthynas.com
