What are the opening hours?

Monday 09:00 - 21:00 Tuesday 09:00 - 21:00 Wednesday 09:00 - 21:00 Thursday 09:00 - 21:00 Friday 09:00 - 18:00

Iro Michael

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Cyprus
Limassol
Iro Michael

Hi, I'm Iro Michael. Embark with me on an online psychotherapy journey for healing and self-discovery. They do not define us. But insight alone is not enough.

Our confidential sessions offer a space for understanding and growth. I'm here to guide and support you towards well-being, every step of the way. My Experience:

As a registered member of the BACP (397067), a voting member of FETE, and a member of the Pancyprian Association of Psychotherapists (PAP), I have over a decade of experience offering confidential psychotherapy and counselling to individuals aged 14 and above, both face-to-face and online. I hold an MSc in Existential Psychology and Psychotherapy from the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling (NSPC), awarded in 2014. In addition to my core training, I have completed certificates and trainings in Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for cancer care providers, Family Systemic Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy. I have also received further training in person-centred, and psychoanalytic/psychodynamic approaches. How I work:

I work fully remotely/online and my approach is grounded in existential, humanistic, somatic, phenomenological, and integrative frameworks, allowing me to tailor my work to the specific needs of each client. This enables me to offer an integrative and holistic therapeutic process, drawing from a range of tools and perspectives to support meaningful and lasting change. In other words, I do not see people as problems to be fixed, but as human beings struggling with life's challenges. Therapy with me is thoughtful, relational, and depth-oriented. My aim is not to help you cope with your distresses, but to help you develop insight, emotional resilience, and a stronger relationship with yourself. Therefore, I do not approach therapy as the elimination of symptoms, but finding the root causes so we can begin the process of healing. Anxiety, depression, anger, shutdown, or compulsive behaviours are not isolated ‘malfunctions’. They are part of our internal world that developed in response to our lived experience. ‘Symptoms’ exist in balance with the rest of who we are. Rather than targeting behaviours alone, we work holistically — understanding how your emotional world, relational history, coping mechanisms, and body interact. Healing begins with awareness: this is not only an exploratory journey of your mind, but also becoming curious about your emotions, reconnecting with your body, and learning to listen to what it is communicating. We explore the meanings of your experiences and how they have shaped your identity, your relationship with yourself and others, and your sense of safety. Often, this means bringing hidden parts of ourselves into awareness — not to overwhelm you, but to integrate them so you can feel more whole. This work may involve uncovering emotional layers that were unwanted and/or painful, or facing relational wounds that shaped how you protect yourself. We examine the strategies you developed to survive — to understand their role and decide whether they still serve you. I pay close attention to patterns as they emerge in the present moment, including within the therapeutic relationship. How you relate to me often reflects how you relate outside the room. These moments become opportunities for awareness, responsibility, and change. I am collaborative, not passive. I will help you connect the dots when I notice them. I may gently challenge your avoidance, self-criticism, or repetition when it keeps you stuck. Growth requires honesty as well as safety. We move at your own pace. I remain attentive not only to what you think, but to what you feel — and to how your body responds. The aim is not suppression or performance. It is integration, emotional healing, and a more conscious, authentic way of living. I am here to support you through this challenging at times, but liberating journey of becoming. Only then can we experience lasting change, freedom and empowerment.

28/10/2026

Depression is not always about sadness. Sometimes it is a profound sense of emptiness, a disconnection from ourselves, others, and the world around us. We may have everything that society tells us should make us happy, yet struggle to find meaning or fulfilment in our lives. From an existential perspective, depression can reflect a loss of connection to what makes life meaningful. Therapy is not simply about alleviating symptoms, but about exploring the experiences, losses, and unmet emotional needs that may have contributed to this disconnection. Healing involves rediscovering our relationship with ourselves, others, and the things that give our existence meaning.
🖤🖤🖤

28/10/2026

Anxiety is not simply a problem to be managed or a symptom to be eliminated. It is often a protective response, developed in an attempt to keep us safe from perceived threats, emotional pain, or experiences we have not yet been able to process. Yet, instead of exploring why this protective mechanism has become necessary, we are often encouraged to develop more coping strategies to manage it. In doing so, we risk creating another layer of adaptation without ever addressing the underlying root cause. Perhaps the question shouldn't be how to cope with anxiety, but why the anxiety is there in the first place.
True therapy begins not by silencing our emotional responses, but by understanding what gave rise to them. Healing begins when we explore and process the unresolved emotional trauma that has left us feeling unsafe.
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13/10/2026

One of the most noticeable effects of ma*****na is the way it alters our experience of being present. Time becomes distorted, attention shifts, the body can feel dulled or heavy, spatial and environmental awareness changes, and the outside world becomes less stimulating.

But emotions are embodied too. We experience fear, excitement, grief, anger, love and connection through our bodies, not simply through our thoughts. We need to talk more about what happens to our emotional range when we regularly alter and dampen our bodily experience.

In my own encounters with regular ma*****na users, what has struck me most is not simply that they seem relaxed, but a kind of emotional zoning out — a reduced capacity to meet, mirror and respond to the full emotional range of themselves or another person.

This is easily mistaken for “non-attachment,” calmness or emotional stability. But there is a difference between being able to experience something deeply without being overwhelmed by it, and simply experiencing less of it.

The question isn't only whether ma*****na makes us feel better.

We also need to ask: **WHAT does it make us feel LESS of?**

💚💚💚💚

29/09/2026

Children don’t all learn, focus, regulate themselves or develop in the same way. Some need movement to concentrate, some need stimulation to stay engaged, some learn through curiosity and experience rather than repetition, and some simply develop certain skills at a different pace.

Yet a significant proportion of children struggle to fit the way we have structured education, we rarely question the structure — we question the children. We give their differences a diagnostic name and locate the problem within them. But what if some of what we call dysfunction is actually human variation struggling within an environment designed around a narrower idea of how children should learn and behave?

And with that comes shame. When a child is repeatedly told to sit still, pay attention, stop interrupting, try harder or be more organised, they may gradually internalise the message that there is something wrong with them. What begins as a difference in the way they engage with the world can become a story about who they are: I’m difficult. I’m lazy. I’m a problem. I’m not good enough. I'm stupid. These messages are carried throughout life.

Perhaps instead of being so quick to pathologise difference, we need to become more curious about what each child needs in order to learn, develop and thrive. A child who doesn’t fit neatly into the system is NOT a child who needs fixing.

🧡🧡🧡

22/09/2026

As children, we learn to associate achievement with reward. We work hard, pass the exam, get the grade and receive praise or recognition for doing well. When our self-worth becomes attached to this process, we can carry the same expectation into adulthood.

We compare ourselves with others and start measuring where we are on an imaginary ladder. We believe that if we work hard, stay loyal, do more than is expected and prove ourselves, eventually someone will notice.

We’ll get the promotion. The recognition. The pay rise. The praise from the boss that tells us, *“You matter here.”*

But life and employment don't work like school. There is no universal grading system, and there is no prize for being ahead of everyone else.

Organisations make decisions according to their own needs — budgets, targets, restructuring, profitability and changing priorities. Those decisions will not always reflect your effort, contribution or ability.

You can be excellent at what you do and still be overlooked. You can be loyal for years and still be made redundant. You can give more and more of yourself without receiving the recognition you thought would eventually come.

This is why looking to achievement or work for validation can become such a painful trap.

As adults, we get to decide what *good enough* means for ourselves. We get to decide what we value, what we want, where we want to go and what our contribution is worth.

If you want the promotion or higher salary, advocate for yourself. Ask. Negotiate. Move somewhere that values what you bring. But don't wait for someone else's recognition as proof that you are good enough.

Take pride in what you achieve, but don't use achievement to measure your worth. And don't hand an organisation the responsibility of deciding how valuable you are.

**Your life is not something you pass, fail or win. It is something you choose how to live.**

14/09/2026

We tend to think of procrastination as laziness or poor self-discipline. But it is often a way of coping with uncomfortable emotions. In other words, what we are really trying to escape is the discomfort underneath the task — fear of failure, pressure to get it right, uncertainty, overwhelm, or even the possibility of being judged.

Putting something off may temporarily protect us from feelings of anxiety, perfectionism or self-doubt. Instead of asking *“Why can’t I just get this done?”*, perhaps a more helpful question is: *“What am I feeling when I think about doing it?”*

08/09/2026

We can spend a long time trying to understand why someone behaves the way they do. We look at their past, their wounds, their fears, or the difficulties they may be going through. Sometimes, understanding brings compassion. But compassion does not require us to keep accepting behaviour that hurts us.

There is an important difference between understanding someone and excusing the impact of their behaviour.

You may never get the explanation, insight, apology, or closure you are looking for. And you don’t need any of those things in order to decide that something is no longer acceptable to you.

A boundary does not require the other person to be a bad person. It only requires you to recognise what you are, and are not, willing to live with.

🩷🩷🩷

27/07/2026

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." — Anne Lamott

As I begin my annual leave, I'm reminded that rest is not a luxury or something we need to earn—it is an essential part of our well-being. In a world that often encourages us to keep going, slowing down can feel unfamiliar, even uncomfortable. Yet taking time to pause allows us to reconnect with ourselves, restore our energy, and return with greater presence and clarity. Whether you're taking a holiday or simply finding small moments of stillness in your day, I hope you give yourself permission to rest without guilt. Wishing you a peaceful and restorative August.

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06/07/2026

For some of us, calm doesn't feel safe. It feels unfamiliar.

If you grew up in an environment where you had to anticipate conflict, manage other people's emotions, or always be on guard, you have learned that tension is normal. Peace, on the other hand, can feel painful.

When life finally slows down, your mind begins searching for what could go wrong. Not because something is wrong, but because you've learned to expect that calmness won't last.

This isn't a sign that you're overreacting or "too anxious." It's often a way of protecting yourself.

Healing isn't about convincing yourself that everything is okay or forcing yourself to relax. It's about gently connecting with the part of you that learned to fear calmness in the first place. By acknowledging those old wounds with compassion and giving yourself the safety, care, and understanding you may not have received, the fear gradually begins to soften. Calmness no longer feels threatening because the part of you that was still waiting for danger no longer feels alone.

Often anxiety isn't about what's happening now. It's about what your past has taught you to expect.

💙💙💙

29/06/2026

Grieving the Parents You Never Had:

Not all grief is about losing someone who died.

Sometimes, the deepest grief is for the parents you never had.

The parent who made you feel safe.
The parent who listened without judgment.
The parent who protected you.
The parent who celebrated who you were instead of who they wanted you to be.
The parent who comforted you when you were hurting.

When these needs weren't consistently met, many people spend years hoping that one day their parents will change, finally understand them, or give them the love they longed for.

Accepting that this may never happen can be heartbreaking.

But it can also be the beginning of healing.

Grieving what you didn't receive allows you to stop chasing what may never come. It creates space to acknowledge the pain, understand how it shaped you, and begin meeting those unmet emotional needs in healthier ways through supportive relationships, self-compassion, and, for many, therapy.

Healing doesn't mean pretending your childhood didn't matter.

It means allowing yourself to mourn what was missing, so it no longer defines your future.

🖤🖤🖤

Address

Limassol

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 21:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 21:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 21:00
Thursday	09:00 - 21:00
Friday	09:00 - 18:00

Website

http://www.psychotherapycentral.org/

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