I am Michael Dodden, a counsellor and coach based in Norwich. I work with adults with ADHD and AuDHD, online across the UK and in person.
Why I do this work
Before becoming a counsellor and coach, I spent 30 years in IT and high-pressure working environments. I understand the experience of looking capable, meeting expectations and keeping things moving while feeling increasingly depleted underneath.
My work is grounded in the understanding that a great deal can sit behind the surface: burnout, masking, shame, sensory overload, relationship strain and the question of why things that look simple can take so much effort. I do not assume that any two people experience ADHD or AuDHD in the same way.
How I work
I bring counselling, coaching and practical experience together. Sometimes we need to understand the deeper pattern first; sometimes we need a way through the week. There is room for both.
I do not expect you to arrive organised, be able to name every feeling, or know exactly what to work on. We start where you are and build from there.
Working with me
I work with adults aged 18+ in a Norwich therapy room, online across the UK, or through walk-and-talk sessions when that suits the work. Individual sessions are £65. You can begin with a free 30-minute phone call.
What you can expect from me
I will be direct when it is useful, but I will not bulldoze you into decisions. I am interested in the things that make sense in your life, including the strategies that may once have helped you survive but are now exhausting you.
I also take seriously the practical side of change. Insight matters, but it is hard to use insight when your energy is gone, your environment is too demanding, or every new plan becomes another source of pressure. We work with your capacity rather than trying to out-discipline your nervous system.
Who I tend to work well with
People often come to me after years of feeling “too much” or somehow not enough: capable adults who have kept going, then found that work, relationships, health or the accumulated weight of life has caught up with them. Some have a diagnosis; others are exploring whether ADHD or AuDHD makes sense of their experience.
You do not have to be certain about any of that before we talk. The first call is simply a place to find out whether the way I work feels right for you.
