Natalie Brunning, BACP

Many clinicians use evidence-based approaches that focus on changing unhelpful thoughts and building coping skills. One common method helps people identify and reframe thinking patterns that increase anxiety and low mood, and teaches practical techniques to manage symptoms day to day. Another approach used for trauma focuses on stabilisation and grounding skills so people can feel safer in the present before addressing difficult memories.

Choosing the best way to work is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss your concerns, goals and preferences and suggest an approach that fits your situation. You can adapt the plan as you go and try different ways of working if one method does not feel right.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual cues help the work. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or you prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging can suit short check-ins, quick coping tools between sessions, or people who express themselves better in writing. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, care responsibilities and travel constraints.