Monina Doubble, BACP, NCPS

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice what matters to them and take small steps towards those values, even when difficult thoughts or feelings appear. It is often used for depression and life changes to reduce getting stuck in avoidance. Client-Centred Therapy puts the person at the heart of the work; the counsellor offers empathetic listening and reflection so the client can make sense of their experience and find their own solutions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) targets unhelpful thought patterns and encourages practical experiments to change feelings through different actions, which can help with anxiety, low mood and sleep difficulties.

Finding the right blend of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to decide which methods fit the client's goals, needs and preferences. That might mean trying CBT for a period, adding mindfulness exercises, or using client-centred conversation to explore deeper patterns. Goals are reviewed together and adjusted as progress is made.

Online therapy offers practical benefits for people with busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversations without travel, phone sessions can be quicker and need less bandwidth, live chat supports shorter check-ins during the day, and text-based messaging lets clients reflect between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family duties and other commitments while keeping the focus on steady progress.