Carmen Castillo, BACP

Carmen Castillo helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, stress, grief or big life changes. She works with those coping with depression, trauma, addiction and issues around self‑esteem and intimacy. Carmen speaks English and Spanish and aims to make talking about hard things feel manageable and straightforward.

Carmen offers calm, practical support in a warm and non-judgemental way. She invites people to work together to notice patterns that keep problems going and to try new responses. Sessions focus on connecting feelings and past experiences, while learning small, doable steps to change unhelpful habits.

Her approach draws on a mix of methods including cognitive behavioural techniques, acceptance and commitment ideas and mindfulness. Carmen pays attention to attachment and how early relationships shape current difficulties. She adapts the way she works to each person’s needs rather than using a single formula.

With ten years of experience, Carmen has supported people from a range of cultural backgrounds and diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP.

Practical matters are discussed together so therapy fits daily life. Carmen encourages self‑compassion and small changes that add up over time. Her style is collaborative, steady and focused on helping people find clearer ways forward.

To start, she asks people to think about what they most want to change and what they already do to cope. That information guides an agreed plan and regular check-ins so progress stays on track.

How Carmen's approaches translate to online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice painful thoughts without getting pulled into them and to commit to actions that match their values. It can help with anxiety, depression and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, CBT, focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers practical tools to change patterns that cause distress. Mindfulness Therapy trains attention to the present moment and can reduce reactivity and rumination.

Carmen sees finding the right approach as a joint process. She works with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, needs and preferences. That may mean trying one way for a few sessions and adapting it as progress is tracked together.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions happen. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be a simpler option when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit people who prefer writing or want regular, brief contact between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and travel while keeping the focus on practical steps and emotional understanding.