Private Online Counselling for Women

Private, one-to-one online counselling

I'm Michelle Fernando, a trainee person-centred counsellor offering private 1 to 1 online counselling by secure video, in English. My focus is women, especially women living abroad and women from collectivist or South Asian families who feel pulled between family duty and their own needs. Everyone is welcome. Sessions cost £45 for 50 minutes, and I work under regular clinical supervision.

Video counselling with me means the same counsellor each week, in a live session you book directly. If you're weighing that up against an app, I've compared private counselling and therapy apps. If your family background is South Asian, there's a page on counselling for South Asian women and families. Not sure online sessions are for you? The short is online counselling right for me? reflection can help you think it through, and there's an honest summary of what research says about online counselling.

Distress rarely comes out of nowhere. Often it builds when we keep parts of ourselves small to fit what is expected of us: by family, by culture, by a new country, by the role we have always played.

I don't diagnose you or steer your life. I offer a relationship where you can explore what is true for you, in your own words and in your own time. That way of working is called person-centred counselling.

A relationship that honours you

Growth that is supported

Growth isn't something I do to you. It tends to happen when the conditions are right. My part is to offer a relationship of understanding and acceptance, so you can find your own way forward.

Nothing to fix

You are not broken. Our sessions are about understanding your world. I'm here to listen to your experience without judging it.

Culture and context

We are shaped by our families, our communities and the places we live. I make room for collectivist values, family duty, migration and minority stress, without assuming one way of living is the right one. More on family duty and the self.

Hi, I'm Michelle

I'm a Trainee Person-Centred Counsellor, studying for an MSc in Counselling & Psychotherapy at Keele University, and a student member of the BACP. I work under regular clinical supervision.

My practice rests on a simple idea that is harder to live than to say: the relationship is the therapy. I don't hide behind a professional mask. I try to meet you as a real person, because I believe honest, warm connection is what helps people change.

I trained and worked in Sri Lanka and the UK, and I have a deep respect for how culture shapes us. For many people, independence isn't the only goal, and commitments to family and community are part of who they are. Read more about me.

Who I work with

How we start

1
Book or write to me
Choose a time on the booking page or email hello@michellefernando.com. You don't need to explain everything. A line saying you are looking for support is enough.
2
A first session to see if it fits
We meet online for a full 50-minute session at the usual fee. This isn't an assessment of your symptoms. It's a chance for both of us to sense whether we can build a trusting relationship. Here is what to expect in a first session.
3
Continuing, at your pace
If we carry on, the space is yours. There is no agenda, no homework and no pressure to feel better quickly. We go where you need to go.

Book a session

Free, private resources

Questions people ask

What is person-centred counselling, and how does it work online?

Person-centred counselling is a non-directive approach developed by Carl Rogers. It trusts that you are the expert on your own life. Online, we meet by secure video. I offer empathy, acceptance and honesty, and you decide what to talk about. There is no set agenda and no homework, just a space to explore what matters most to you.

Do you only work with women?

No. My focus is women, especially women living abroad and women from collectivist or South Asian families, because that is where much of my interest lies. But I don't turn anyone away on the basis of gender. If you feel this way of working might suit you, you are welcome to book a session or email me.

Can I have online counselling sessions from outside the UK?

Yes. Online counselling sessions take place from the UK by secure video, in English, so you can join from wherever you live. This is private counselling with a UK-based trainee counsellor, and it sits outside the health system in your country. Evening sessions are available in UK time, which often suits other time zones. The fee is £45 per session, charged in pounds.

Are you a qualified counsellor?

I'm a trainee. I'm completing an MSc in Counselling & Psychotherapy at Keele University, I'm a student member of the BACP, and I work under regular clinical supervision. I already hold a PGDip in Counselling & Psychosocial Support and a BSc in Psychology. My fee reflects my trainee status.

Will you understand my cultural background?

I won't assume I know your experience, but I won't assume Western ideas of independence are universal either. I have worked in Sri Lanka and the UK, and I'm especially interested in family duty, migration and identity. You can bring your values, your family and your faith into the room, including the parts that feel complicated.

What if I need help urgently?

I don't offer a crisis service. If you are in immediate danger, call 999 in the UK or 112 across the EU, or go to your nearest emergency department. In the UK you can call Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night. If you live elsewhere, please use your local emergency number, or find a line near you in the helplines directory.

A space to be you

You don't need to have everything worked out before you begin. Book a first session, or write to me if you'd like to ask something first.