Alison "Ali" Pember, BACP

Alison "Ali" Pember offers a calm, non-judgemental space for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety or life changes. She is easy to talk to and helps clients work out why they feel stuck and what practical steps might help. Ali combines listening with hands-on coaching to support clearer thinking and steadier emotions.

With 13 years of practice, Ali draws on client-centred ways of working that place the person at the heart of sessions. She uses emotionally-focused techniques to help people understand and shift patterns in relationships and attachment. Mindfulness and somatic methods are included to help with emotional regulation and the body’s responses to stress.

People often come for issues such as parenting strain, fertility and pregnancy concerns, postpartum depression, grief, workplace stress and low self-esteem. She also supports those dealing with trauma and abuse, compassion fatigue, ADHD, anger and depression. Additional focuses include family of origin problems, communication difficulties and feelings of isolation.

Sessions may address practical goals like coping strategies at home, clearer communication, life purpose work and managing career transitions. Ali blends reflective conversation with exercises that people can try between sessions to build momentum.

She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, works from the United Kingdom, and conducts sessions in English. Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging.

Approaches that suit online therapy and everyday life

Alison commonly uses client-centred work and emotionally-focused methods. Client-centred therapy means sessions are led by what matters to the person in front of her, with listening and reflection to help people find their own answers. Emotionally-focused work helps identify repeating relationship patterns and offers ways to change how people respond to each other, useful for attachment and relationship strain.

She also draws on mindfulness and somatic ideas to help people notice bodily reactions and use simple practices to calm or regulate emotions. Mindfulness involves short attention exercises and breathing that can reduce reactivity, while somatic work uses awareness of bodily sensations to process stress and trauma responses.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences in early sessions and try approaches that fit the person's needs. Together they decide what feels most helpful and adjust as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility across different formats. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that helps. Phone sessions work when bandwidth or being on camera is difficult. Live chat and text-based messaging suit brief check-ins, daily support or when someone prefers written reflection. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, childcare and other commitments, while still using the approaches described above.