About me

Michelle Lacy, BA (Hons), MSc (Econs), Advance Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling, Post Graduate Diploma Psychodynamic Studies, UKCP (Accredited), EMDR Association UK (Member).

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Michelle Lacy

I have been working as a psychodynamic psychotherapist since 2005, providing short-term counselling and long-term psychotherapy to clients with a wide range of needs.

These areas include: childhood trauma, attachment and separation difficulties, stress, depression, history of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, bereavement, complex PTSD, single incident trauma, sexuality/gender/identity issues, relationship and interpersonal difficulties, supporting parents and young adults, self-esteem, psychosomatic difficulties, loneliness, boarding school syndrome, developmental delays, periods of confusion and “midlife” crisis, breakdown, anger, living with illness/chronic ill health, hoarding, anxiety, panic, self-harm.

I am a fully qualified Accredited Registered Member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the Foundation for Psychotherapy and Counselling (FPC). In addition to working in private practice, I spent 5 years as a psychodynamic psychotherapist in the Talking Therapies Service at Wpf Therapy and 3 years within the integrated Psychotherapy and Counselling Service at Richmond Borough Mind.

My professional training was undertaken at Wpf Therapy, one of Britain’s top accredited training institutions, with a reputation for clinical and academic excellence. I hold a BACP accredited Advanced Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling from Wpf Therapy as well as a BACP accredited Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Studies from Roehampton University.

I am experienced in working across a range of mental health issues but specialise in working with adverse childhood experiences and complex PTSD. To support this work, I have undertaken specialised trauma training in somatic psychotherapy with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute.  I completed Level 1: Trauma Themes in 2021 and Level 2: Developmental Injury in May 2023.  I have also completed Part 1, 2 and 3: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) training with Richman EMDR Training and registered with the EMDR Association UK.

I originally trained as a radio journalist, but have also worked extensively in the voluntary and public sector commissioning, managing and delivering services for people with special needs prior to becoming a psychotherapist.

Training qualifications

Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy – WPF Therapy,
Advance Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling – WPF Therapy,
Postgraduate Diploma Psychodynamic Studies – Roehampton University

Accredited member of the UKCP 

Professional Development Training

  • Internal Family Systems Level 1 – Liz Martins, IFS UK (2025)
  • English Landscape: An Archetypal Perspective on the Ex-Boarder, Sally McLaren, FPC (2025)
  • Treating the Challenging Client with Trauma-Informed Stabilisation Treatment (TIST) – Janina Fisher, PESI (2025)
  • Using Internal Family Systems (IFS) with Autistic Clients – Sarah Bergenfield, PESI (2025)
  • Attachment Focused EMDR Workshop – Laurel Parnell, PESI (2024)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing:  Part 3 – Richman EMDR Training (2024)
  • Building an Effective Neurodivergent Affirmative Practice – Christiane Sanderson (2024)
  • Suffering is Optional: Buddhist Approaches to Helping Clients -Janina Fisher (2024)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing:  Part 2 – Richman EMDR Training (2023)
  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Part 2 Trauma Developmental Injury – Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (2022-2023)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing:  Part 1 – Richman EMDR Training (2022)
  • Internal Family Systems Introductory Workshop – IFS Training UK (2022)
  • Boarding School Syndrome: The Anatomy of a Trauma – Joy Schaverien (2022)
  • Preverbal, Non-Verbal & Implicit Memories: The Keys to Addressing Developmental Trauma – Dr Arielle Schwartz (2022)
  • Reclaiming The Body: Trauma Sensitive Yoga – Sasha Bates (2022)
  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Part 1 Trauma Themes – Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (2021)
  • Working with Gender Non-Conforming & Transgender Clients – Michelle Bridgman (2021)
  • Narcissistic Injuries, Neglect & Relational Trauma – Christiane Sanderson (2021)
  • Working with Dependency in Clients with Complex Trauma – Kathy Steele (2020)
  • Attachment, MBT & Toxic Couple Relationships – Dr Gwen Adshead & Gerry Byrne (2020)
  • Complex PTSD: An Integrative Mind-Body Approach to Treating Clients with Chronic, Repeated and/or Developmental Trauma – Arielle Schwartz (2020)
  • The Psychophysiology of PTSD and Trauma – Babette Rothschild (2018)
  • Working with Attachment & Dependency in Complex Trauma – Kathy Steele (2018)
  • Early Relational Trauma and Borderline States of Mind – Marcus West (2017)
  • Rewind Approach for working with PTSD and Trauma – Paula Readon (2017)
  • Sex on the Brain – Graham Music (2016)
  • Addiction as an Attachment Disorder – Gerard & Sarah Chevalier,David Delapalme (2015)
  • Introduction to Emotionally Focused Therapy – Nick Poaros (2013)
  • Absent Fathers – Bill Austin (2013)