Mark Smith, BACP

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person’s experience and aims to make people feel heard. In practice this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, checks understanding and uses the session to clarify what matters most.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions. It helps people spot unhelpful thinking patterns and try small behavioural experiments to see what changes are possible, which is useful for anxiety and depression.

Motivational Interviewing helps when motivation is low or mixed, such as with addictions or habit change. The counsellor uses open questions and reflective listening to support a person’s own reasons for change rather than pushing advice.

Deciding which approach fits best is part of the work. The therapist explores a person’s goals, preferences and daily routines and then agrees a plan together. That plan can combine elements of different approaches and be adjusted over time.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face feel and visual cues, phone works well for slower connections or quick check-ins, live chat and text suit brief check-ins or people who prefer writing. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and travel.