Cheryl McDonald-Tuckwell, BACP

Cheryl McDonald-Tuckwell is a UK-based counsellor with 16 years of professional experience. She offers weekly online sessions by video, phone or chat and shapes therapy around each person's needs. Cheryl aims to create a non-judgemental space where people can speak openly and feel heard.

Cheryl uses a mix of therapy styles rather than one fixed method. She pays attention to thoughts, emotions, boundaries and life goals, and adapts sessions to what feels most helpful in the moment. Sessions move at a pace set by the client, with practical steps and reflective conversation where useful.

Her background includes work in GP practices, schools, women’s services and bereavement support. This experience involved supporting people with depression, anxiety, grief, parenting difficulties, exam pressure and trauma. She has supported people affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and bereavement through violent crime.

Cheryl also has experience helping people understand attachment patterns and childhood emotional neglect. She works with neurodivergent adults and children on social skills and emotional regulation, taking sensory needs into account when using online formats. As a member of the LGBT community, she offers an affirming space to discuss related concerns.

Her counselling roots are in Person-Centred counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and she combines these with coaching techniques and other brief therapies. Sessions are arranged weekly and the practicalities are discussed during initial contacts to fit each person’s circumstances.

How Cheryl's approaches translate to online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and take action that matches their values. It can be useful for anxiety, low mood and life changes by focusing on what matters rather than getting stuck in difficult thoughts.

Client-Centred Therapy puts the person’s experience at the heart of each session. The counsellor listens without judgement, mirrors what is said and supports the person to find their own solutions. This approach is helpful for building confidence, self-esteem and clearer personal boundaries.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours link together and offers practical tools to shift unhelpful patterns. It can help with anxiety, depression, sleep problems and coping strategies during stressful times.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Cheryl will discuss different ways of working and together decide what fits a person’s goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process and methods can be adjusted as therapy progresses.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how and when sessions happen. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins and text-based messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and daily life while still receiving regular weekly support.