About
I'm Michelle Bridgman
I provide counselling & psychotherapy for adults and adolescents questioning or in conflict with their gender identity. Please click on the link at the bottom of the page for my free guide to Transgender in the UK
GENDER IDENTITY CONFLICTS
Do you have a male or female gender identity which is in conflict with your physical body?
As clinicians finally realise that this is not about mental illness and cease diagnosing people with Gender Identity Disorder the phrase Gender Dysphoria is more generally used to describe someone who is unhappy with or doesn’t identify with the gender assigned at birth. Gender Dysphoria simply means dissatisfaction with a person’s assigned gender and is not a pathological condition. Not every person questioning their gender identifies as MTF, FTM, Trans, Transsexual, Transgender, Transvestite, or Gender Queer, for some people a compromise can be the best solution. Whatever the situation, I provide the support and advice needed to empower you to decide upon the right course of action for you.
Are you already committed to or considering transitioning?
Many of my clients come to me because they feel stuck, confused or are questioning whether they can come to terms with remaining in the gender role they were assigned at birth. Some come to me because they feel a change of gender maybe their only solution. I work with male to female (MTF) and female to male (FTM) clients. I also provide Counselling for children battling with these challenges. Counselling for minors requires the inclusion of their parents or guardians. I am easily accessible to both national and international clients
My consulting rooms are located in Harley Street and Penn in Buckinghamshire.
NB: Due to the pandemic, I currently hold all consultations on Zoom.
My Professional qualifications
UKCP
I am a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy
BACP
I am a member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
WHY WOULD I WANT TO SEE A THERAPIST?
Some people ask ‘why would I want to see a therapist in the first place?’
Not everyone will feel the need or wish to use the services of a therapist. However, effective therapy is not about diagnosis and is certainly not about cure. A good practitioner will help you explore and make meaning of your experience and your felt sense of self.
The objective should not be to make judgements about your suitability for transition and the practitioner should not be invested in whether you do or do not transition. However a good Psychotherapist will help you become more self aware, emotionally grounded and strong enough to make healthy choices
For others it may simply be about you obtaining much needed emotional support at a challenging time.
Wondering what style or orientation of therapy you should choose?
Whilst I do not presume to judge one therapy genre over another I suggest that you pick a style that encourages exploration and respects your felt sense of self or phenomenology. A purely reflective style may be helpful for support but may take longer for exploration.
