Michael Leunig

Michael Leunig is a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist, a member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), and accredited with the GHR as a clinical hypnotherapist and recognised supervisor. Born in Germany, he moved frequently during childhood because of family circumstances, and those early experiences, together with childhood trauma, have shaped his approach to therapy.

His personal journey through adulthood included periods of depression and difficulties with anger, experiences that influenced his decision to train and practise as a therapist. His own healing began with Mindfulness, and he went on to become a Mindfulness Master Practitioner, delivering courses to groups and to other therapists wishing to integrate Mindfulness into their work.

Michael followed a long-held aim to study at university and completed a degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy at Salford University, celebrating that achievement with his family at graduation. He subsequently trained in Clinical Hypnotherapy and now teaches courses in that field. His professional background includes work for Mind, the mental health charity in the UK, and involvement in the Blue Lights scheme supporting Police, Firefighters, ICU Nurses, and Counter Terrorism Officers. He has also worked in a number of NHS surgeries across the North of England, offering Solution Focused Therapy to patients.

Now in private practice, his service has received multiple awards over recent years, including recognition from the SME News Awards for Psychotherapy and Clinical Hypnotherapy. He also serves as Mind Coach for the Oldham Rugby League Football Team and brings six years of therapeutic experience to his work.

Michael believes that everyone has a right to happiness but that people can become stuck for many reasons - grief, childhood trauma, divorce, or abuse among them. He supports people to become unstuck, to let go of the past, and to move toward who they were meant to be. He does not claim to know how someone feels - only the individual knows that - and he works from the view that clients already hold the answers they need; his role is to help them find those answers. He uses an integrative approach, drawing on Person Centred therapy, Transactional Analysis, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Clinical Hypnosis, Mindfulness, Emotional Freedom Technique, and Life Coaching, while remaining present and supportive throughout the therapeutic journey.