Mick Hartley RMN, BSc (Psychol), Certified Transactional Analyst. UKCP Registered.
My Qualities
I have a compassionate and accepting nature. I enjoy supporting people in reaching their potential. I gain deep satisfaction from being with people as they grow and develop and I love to witness people making the changes they never thought possible.
I have a warm, relaxed manner and, if appropriate, bring a sense of fun to our time together. I often think playfulness is a great form of expression and can help in building trust.
Through my own personal work I understand how difficult it can be to face aspects of ourselves. I will therefore always respect where you are at and help you move towards where you want to be at a pace which fits with your natural rhythm.
It is really important that we go at your pace and I just facilitate you as make the changes you desire. This doesn’t mean I won’t offer challenge. I will offer insights as I see my role as supporting you by helping you integrate what is on the edge of your awareness. I will endeavour do this with empathy and with the emphasis on your growth and development.
Michelangelo was once asked how he makes such beautiful sculptures. He replied something on the lines of, “the sculptures already exist I just chip away the excess marble.”
This in essence is how I see the therapy process. When we chip away all the contaminations, conditionings and emotional confusions we have learnt to live with so we can experience our true nature.
My Career
I began my career doing voluntary work within the NHS in 1985. In 1986 I started working full-time at the Kanner Unit at High Royds Hospital near Menston, Leeds. This was a specialised childrens unit and offered high quality care for children under the age of 11 years.
I trained as a Registered Mental Nurse in York and qualified in 1993. I then immediately embarked on a degree in psychology at Lancaster University with the ambition for further studies to become a Clinical Psychologist.
During this time I started a course in Transactional Analysis psychotherapy essentially to augment my CV for application to a course in Clinical Psychology.
However I loved the approach and skill level that psychotherapy training offered so I decided to stay on this path rather than pursue my original ambition.
What changed my direction was the emphasis on the therapist having their own therapy. I saw this as very egalitarian rather than therapist as expert which is an important principle for me because how could I help someone work through their traumas if I am unaware of my own? It also gave me insight into how difficult change can be.
There have been two main questions I realised I have been trying to answer throughout my life which came back to the foreground when I started my psychotherapy training, namely, who am I and what is reality? I felt that my best chance of answering these two questions was through developing myself as a psychotherapist.
In 1996, upon completing my degree, I started to develop my private practice whilst working within the acute psychiatric services in York. I have had a full-time psychotherapy practice since 1998.
During this time I have connected with and explored different forms of psychotherapy, Gestalt, Jungian, Kleinian, Integrative Psychotherapy as well as various spiritual practices which now inform my work.
I work within the ethical and professional standards of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy.
To arrange an initial consultation please call me on 07941 488851 and then we can discuss what you need and how I may be of help.
Psychotherapy can help us:
- Take control of our life
- REDUCE CONFLICT: internaland interpersonal
- Overcome our struggles
- Deal with DEPRESSION
- Find meaning and purpose in life
- Overcome difficult feelings: anxiety, ANGER, grief, fear
- Deal with stress
- Cope with psychiatric illness
- Increase the quality of our relationships
- Deal with panic attacks
- OVERCOME REPETITIVE LIFE PATTERNS
- Get out of our stuck experiences
- Grow and develop
- Learn new parenting skills
- Overcome sexual difficulties: past or present
- Deal with domestic abuse: past or present
- Deal with self-limiting beliefs
- Discover who we are
- Stop smoking
- Increase our self awareness
- Learn how to succeed
- Increase our self-esteem
- Deal with obsessive behaviour
- Change our negative thinking
Testimonials
After feeling anxious for as long as I can remember and years of feeling ‘up and down’ in my mood because of it, I decided to speak to someone who could help. Working with Michael has helped me to better understand myself. He has supported me to come to terms with parts of my life that without his guidance I may not of understood or realised had an impact on shaping who I am. Working with Michael is a collaboration between us as two equal people. He has, and continues to, guide me to realise these things in my own time and without pressure which has meant working together has had such a beneficial impact on my life. Sessions are not always easy, but I know Michael is there to help me process my thoughts and feelings in a completely non-judgmental and affirming way. My anxiety and low moods have improved dramatically and I know things can only continue to improve the more I explore and learn.
Rosie
I have had therapy with Mick for five years. I have felt safe with him. He is deeply empathic but can be challenging, at the appropriate time.
PP