Anna Conway-Cowin, BACP

Client-centred therapy places the person at the heart of the work and focuses on listening, understanding and following what matters most to them. This approach helps with anxiety, low mood and stress by building on the client’s own strengths and choices.

Trauma-focused therapy concentrates on reducing the impact of distressing experiences. In sessions the aim is to understand how past events affect present reactions and to develop ways of managing difficult memories and strong emotions.

Internal Family Systems helps people identify different parts of themselves and how those parts interact. It is useful for self-criticism, mood swings and patterns that keep repeating, because it creates more compassion and clearer internal communication.

Finding the right therapy is a shared process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most helpful, and then adapt methods together so the sessions match the person’s needs. That collaborative approach makes it easier to try different ways of working and see what fits.

Online formats bring practical benefits for many people. Video calls offer face-to-face contact and a fuller sense of presence. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit into a short break from work. Live chat and text-based messaging suit brief check-ins, people who prefer typed reflection, or anyone who wants support without being on camera. These options make it easier to organise regular sessions around life commitments.