Counselling with Ange McMillan

Ange McMillan

Counsellor, trainer, supervisor and founder of Elemental Health

Making the decision to book in counselling can feel like a huge step.

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Especially if you have spent years feeling that there must be something so secretly wrong with you that no one will actually be able to help you.

You may have had therapy or coaching before, only to feel like your day to day struggles and sensory sensitivities have been dismissed or ignored or that all you have to do is "try harder" to overcome the challenges you face.

Perhaps you have been told that you are ruminating when you know inside that the way that you process things is to talk about them repeatedly.

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In the past, confusion around friendships or during social interaction has been labelled as social anxiety but you know this doesn't quite match your experience.

You spend a lot of time wondering why people do what they do and wish that someone could come along and explain things so you didn't feel so confused or upset all of the time.

As an autistic therapist I understand that counselling needs to be different for neurodivergent people and with that in mind our service has been built both with and for neurodivergent people.

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Issues I work with:

Trauma, friendship issues, school, college or work related issues, stress, anxiety and anxiety disorders, low mood, depression, burnout, chronic pain, chronic illness, suspected neurodivergence.

Autism, ADHD, DLD, Dyslexia, Tourettes and Tics. 

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What to expect

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We book in a free 20 minute video consultation.

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I send you over some electronic forms and then we meet online via our secure video platform so we can speak confidentially.

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​You will have an opportunity to talk about what you are coming to counselling for and to see how we might work together.

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If we decide we would be a good fit we book in our first full session. 

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I send over the contract and we will work through an environment and sensory checklist together so the room can be made comfortable for your needs. Sensory tools, low level lighting, no eye contact and movement breaks are all welcomed here.

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I have been a counsellor since 2007, starting my work at Childline and then working with Mind, The YMCA and The Terrence Higgins Trust. I have worked in private practice since 2012 and work with children, young people and adults.

I set up Elemental Health in 2015 after running counselling services for young people in schools and sixth forms.​

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I realised that, with many young people, there was a lack of knowledge about what might be happening physically, emotionally, and in their relationships with others, so I began to teach PHSE sessions.

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My aim was simple: to help young people help each other and, in doing so, help themselves.

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My interest in working with anxiety stemmed from my own lived experience. Having had an anxiety disorder for a number of years and then putting lots of systems in place to support myself, I found myself drawn to training in different approaches that made a difference to myself and my clients.

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As more and more of my anxious clients were being diagnosed as neurodivergent, I began to realise that a lot of my lifetime struggles may have been more than anxiety alone and I went on to be diagnosed as Autistic.

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Suddenly, everything felt like it made sense and I realised why so many neurodivergent people had come to therapy with me saying they felt understood for the first time.

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I began to shape our services to suit the needs of anxious and neurodivergent clients.

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​​Alongside Elemental Health I am the founder of Augmenting Therapy CIC, a service that offers therapeutic group support for neurodivergent young people and their parents.

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Next Steps

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Sessions take place weekly and last for 50 minutes. 

I work in person, virtually or we can use both (hybrid).

I do not offer telephone, email or text counselling.

I am an LGBTQ+ ally and do not require you to have a diagnosis to book in with me.

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Fees are £80 per session.

I accept AXA, Vitality and Aviva insurance.

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