bio
Name: Oliver North (Olly), ProfDip, MBACP.
Age: 38.
Pronouns: He/Him.
Membership: Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (MBACP).
Qualifications: Level 6 Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counselling - Distinction.
Current Training: CCTP (Levels 1 & 2).
Upcoming Training: MA in Counselling & Psychotherapy, Bath Spa University.
Areas of Speciality: Trauma and CPTSD, Neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ Individuals & Sexuality, Attachment Patterns, Addiction, Anxiety, Stress & Burnout and The Subconscious.
approach
ethos
I believe everyone deserves the chance to explore their true potential, to work towards their aspirations, and to live a happy life, as free from pain and hurt as possible. We're all unique, with very different ways of experiencing the world, and with even more unique minds and internal worlds. This means we respond to things in totally different ways to how even the closest people to us do. My approach offers a confidential space where there's no judgment, somewhere to say the things you're not able to with others, and a place to gain a deeper insight into why you feel the way you do, and how to manage it.
integration
I integrate five models of therapy, so instead of just listening to your problems and nodding along, I weave in elements of these different approaches to help you understand yourself better and work through the things that are affecting your day-to-day life. Our early childhood experiences and attachment styles shape how we live and relate to others in our present lives, and I believe exploring these, alongside the issues you're going through, is fundamental to therapy. The demands and challenges that our society imposes on us can seriously wear us down and lead to anxiety, anger, burnout, and stress. It's important we also look at the systems impacting you and how to deal with them. Whether that's work, family, society, or the wider world, it's vital to take into account the invisible pressures that influence our feelings. Alongside this, I introduce practical techniques to help soothe and regulate your nervous system when unexpected moments threaten to hijack your mind, helping you rebuild your confidence and ease low mood.
perspective
While therapy is very much about you, it's important for me to be upfront about my own experiences. On many occasions, I've sat in the opposite chair as the client to receive therapy and work through issues such as ADHD, alcohol dependency, workplace struggles, and burnout. I've sat where you are, and experiencing the change that can happen, right when you think there's no future, is what led to me quitting my job, going to detox, and retraining in Counselling and Psychotherapy. I simply understand the importance of making sense of our worlds, being more comfortable in our bodies, and living a life that's more in line with who we really are... and I think everyone has the power, potential, and right to do just that.
Book a free, 20-minute Intro Call.
My career change was featured by the University of Staffordshire, following my invitation to deliver the Vote of Thanks at graduation; you can read the article here.
verified profiles
history
2004 - 2024 - Corporate & Lived Experience
Seventeen years of commercial experience managing high-value corporate relationships, team leadership, and operations across Manchester . This era provides the mature life experience and deep understanding of workplace stress that informs my current practice.
2026 - PESI UK - Advanced CPD Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-I/II). Advanced specialist qualification focusing on the neurobiological legacy of trauma, somatic interventions, and processing severe shame or dissociative states.
2025-2026 - Aura CIC - Volunteering
100 hour placement and additional volunteering post-qualification. You can read more about Aura's fantastic work here.
2026-2027 - Bath Spa University - MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice.
Masters in advanced postgraduate study focused on evidence-based models and clinical research inside complex environments.
2022 - Macclesfield & Strode Colleges - Foundation Training, Levels 2 & 3 Counselling Skills.
Initial core clinical training establishing foundational active listening competencies, ethical boundary management, and theoretical framework comprehension. Focuses heavily on personal development, self-awareness, and the practical application of essential humanistic counselling skills.
2025 - SPC Academy | The Centre For Healing - Specialist CPD Child Development & Trauma Coaching. Accredited Specialist Diploma in Counselling Children & Young People (CYP), alongside certified training in polyvagal nervous system mapping and body-based stress responses.
2024-2026 - University of Staffordshire - Level 6 Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapeutic Counselling. Pass with Distinction
Clinical BACP accredited qualification covering diagnostic intake, case formulation, and safeguarding protocols. Professionally integrates Person-Centred, Psychodynamic, Attachment, Systemic, and Gestalt theoretical models. Includes a completed 100-hour supervised clinical placement.