Craig Johnson

I offer counselling sessions online during the week, with a mixture of daytime and evening appointments.

Face-to-face sessions are available at weekends at my accessible office in Cheadle Hulme, and I also have limited weekday face-to-face availability in Romiley.

Availability can vary, so if you are interested in working together but unsure whether I can accommodate your schedule, please feel free to get in touch. I aim to be as flexible as possible where I can.

My work as an integrative therapeutic counsellor is grounded in compassion, respect, and inclusivity. I aim to offer a space where you feel safe enough to be honest, at your own pace, and where your experiences are taken seriously.

My practice is shaped by both professional training and lived experience. As a wheelchair user, I have navigated disability, mental health challenges, and the impact of being seen as different in society. This has informed my commitment to equality, dignity, and working in ways that recognise the whole person, not just the problem they bring.

I work integratively, drawing on Person-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Transactional Analysis. This allows our work to be shaped around you rather than following a fixed approach. I see therapy as collaborative and empowering. I will meet you where you are, whether you are seeking clarity, emotional support, help with coping, or a deeper understanding of yourself and your relationships.

I have particular experience working with men’s mental health, including men who feel unsure, hesitant, or conflicted about starting counselling. I am mindful of the pressures many men face around vulnerability, strength, and self-expectation, and I work in a way that respects this without rushing or pushing.

My academic background in sociology, gender studies, and Women’s Studies brings an intersectional awareness to my work. I consider how factors such as disability, gender, class, race, sexuality, and social expectations can shape emotional wellbeing. I am especially passionate about supporting people who have felt marginalised, misunderstood, or unseen.

Alongside my private practice work, I am an Academic Teaching Fellow in Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Salford. This role supports my ongoing reflection, ethical practice, and engagement with current thinking in the profession, all of which directly inform my work with clients.

I offer individual counselling to adults of all genders, including women, men, trans, and non-binary people. My practice is inclusive and respectful, with a particular awareness of how marginalisation, identity, and lived experience can affect mental health and wellbeing.

Sessions last 50 minutes and can take place weekly or fortnightly, depending on what feels most helpful for you. I offer online counselling via a secure platform, as well as face-to-face sessions. In-person appointments are available at weekends at my accessible office in Cheadle Hulme, with some limited weekday face-to-face availability in Romiley. Please feel free to enquire if you have specific accessibility needs.

You can expect a warm, confidential, and non-judgemental space where we work collaboratively at your pace. Our work may involve exploring difficult experiences, developing coping strategies, improving relationships, or building greater self-awareness, confidence, and emotional clarity.

If you are looking for a counsellor who values authenticity, lived experience, and collaborative therapeutic work, you are welcome to get in touch. I offer a free 15-minute introductory conversation by phone or email to help you decide whether working together feels right for you.

Your first session is a calm and open space where you set the pace. We will begin by gently exploring what has brought you to counselling, and you are free to share as much or as little as feels comfortable.

Together, we will look at what you hope to gain from counselling. This might include working through a specific difficulty, understanding yourself more clearly, building resilience, or developing greater self-acceptance.

We will also agree how we work together. This includes discussing confidentiality, session frequency, boundaries, and endings, as well as how different therapeutic approaches may support you. If it feels helpful, and only with your agreement, I may suggest brief questionnaires such as the GAD-7 or PHQ-9 to support our shared understanding of your wellbeing.

There are no lengthy assessments and no pressure to disclose anything before you are ready. Your comfort, safety, and sense of control are central to the work. If at any point it does not feel like the right fit, there is no obligation to continue. Finding a counsellor you trust is an important part of meaningful therapeutic work.