About Me

I’m Craig Johnson, a qualified therapeutic counsellor and Registered Member of the BACP. I offer counselling for adults online and in person, supporting people with anxiety, grief, low mood, disability, relationship difficulties, self-worth, and life transitions.

I came to counselling because I believe people deserve spaces where they can be met with honesty, warmth, and care. So many of us learn to hide parts of ourselves, to keep going, to manage other people’s expectations, or to tell ourselves that our struggles are not serious enough to matter.

Therapy can offer something different. It can be a place where you can slow down, be honest, and begin to understand yourself without judgement.

A little more about me

Alongside private practice, I have a strong interest in counselling education, disability, social justice, and the ways the world around us shapes our personal stories.

I am also a Teaching Fellow in Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Salford. I welcome counselling students into my private practice where appropriate, including those who need to complete personal therapy as part of their training. This is always considered carefully and ethically, and I would not work therapeutically with any student I teach or assess.

These interests inform my work, but they do not take over the therapy. The focus will always be you, your story, and what you need from the space.

I also co-host a podcast on counselling and social issues with my colleague and friend, Dr Callum Jones

You can find out more on the Podcast page.

What is it?

My podcast is called "The Therapy Files" and I co-host it alongside Callum Jones. It is a series of podcasts dedicated to mental health and personal growth. It’s another way I aim to make support, reflection, and encouragement available to anyone who may benefit from it.

Where does it come from?

Through open, thoughtful conversations, I explore topics ranging from emotional wellbeing to the challenges we all face in everyday life. The podcast allows me to share insights from my professional experience while engaging with guests and listeners in a more relaxed, accessible format.

Where can I find it?

Available on many podcast providers, facebook. View the podcast section of this webpage to find direct links to the episodes.

I believe counselling should feel professional, ethical, and boundaried, but also deeply human. You are not a problem to be fixed. You are a person to be met, understood, and supported.

In my early professional years, I was asking the question: How can I treat, or cure, or change this person? Now I would phrase the question in this way: How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for their own personal growth?

Carl Rogers “On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy”, p.32, Houghton Mifflin

My Training & Journey

Part of what led me to counselling was my own experience of being supported through grief after the loss of my mother. I came to value the importance of having a steady, compassionate space where difficult feelings could be met gently. That experience has stayed with me and continues to shape the care I bring to my work as a therapist.

I also know that people are shaped by more than what happens inside their own minds. We are shaped by relationships, families, bodies, communities, social pressures, discrimination, loss, work, money, culture, and the systems around us.

This matters in counselling.

I aim to offer therapy that does not reduce your distress to something being “wrong” with you. Instead, we can explore your experiences with curiosity and compassion. We can think about what has happened to you, what you have had to carry, and what you may need now.

As a disabled therapist and wheelchair user, I bring a lived understanding of how identity, access, difference, and belonging can affect emotional wellbeing. This does not mean every client needs to talk about disability, but it does mean I value therapy that is inclusive, human, and aware of the wider world.

My professional background

I completed my counselling training at Stockport College and have continued to develop my practice through professional experience, supervision, and ongoing training.

I work within the BACP ethical framework, which supports safe, respectful, and professional counselling practice.

My approach is integrative, which means I draw on more than one therapeutic model. My work is grounded in Person-Centred Therapy, with additional use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Transactional Analysis where helpful.

Person-Centred Therapy shapes the heart of how I work. I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship can help people feel safe enough to explore what is painful, confusing, or difficult to say elsewhere.

CBT can help us notice patterns in thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Transactional Analysis can help us understand relationship patterns, communication, and the different parts of ourselves that may show up in everyday life.

I do not believe therapy should be a one-size-fits-all approach. You are unique, and your therapy should reflect that. We will work together to find an approach that fits you.

I am a qualified counsellor and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

As part of my professional commitment, I work in accordance with the BACP’s ethical framework, which places great emphasis on client safety, confidentiality, and respect.

I continue to expand my learning through ongoing professional development, workshops, and clinical supervision, so I can continue offering safe, effective support to the people I work with.

Let's Chat

Taking the first step towards counselling can feel daunting — and that’s completely okay. You don’t need to have the “right words” or even know exactly what you’re looking for. Sometimes, it simply starts with a conversation.

If you’re curious about how counselling might help, or you’d just like to ask a few questions, I’d love to hear from you. There’s no pressure, no obligation — just a safe, friendly space to talk things through.

Contact Me

and let’s see how I can support you