Paula Reilly, BACP

Paula commonly draws on attachment-based ideas to help people understand their relationship patterns and why certain dynamics feel familiar. This approach can be useful for intimacy problems, communication issues and rebuilding trust after hurt.

She also uses client-centred methods which place the client’s experience at the heart of the work. That means sessions tend to be led by what the person brings, with the counsellor offering reflection and empathy to help clarify feelings and priorities.

Alongside these, cognitive behavioural techniques are often introduced to spot unhelpful thoughts and try practical experiments. Such techniques can be useful for anxiety, low mood and managing stress in day-to-day life.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process and Paula treats it as a collaborative conversation. She will talk with each person about goals and preferences, and together they will try different ways of working until they find what helps most.

Online therapy offers practical benefits such as greater flexibility and easier scheduling. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that is helpful, phone sessions can be a lower-bandwidth option, and text-based chats or messaging suit people who prefer written reflection or brief check-ins. These formats make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving and busy lives while still working through relationship, mood and life-change concerns with a registered professional.