Colette Safhill, BACP

Colette Safhill uses a person-centred approach as the basis of her work. She keeps sessions focused on what the client brings and creates a calm, non-judgemental space for people to talk and make sense of difficult feelings. Colette holds a BACP credential, and she draws on two decades of clinical experience in the United Kingdom.

Her background includes post-qualification training in relationship therapy and trauma-related work. She has experience addressing eating concerns, adoption-related issues and domestic abuse, and she has completed EMDR training for trauma processing. Colette combines these skills with practical tools to help people manage anxiety, stress and low mood.

In a session she listens first and asks practical questions to clarify problems and goals. She uses client-centred listening alongside techniques from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy when helpful. This blend aims to give both emotional support and simple coping strategies that can be practised between sessions.

Colette also works with issues around intimacy, grief, self-esteem, addiction and life changes. She offers support around parenting strain, carer stress and long-term health challenges, and addresses communication and control difficulties when they come up. Her approach is steady and pragmatic, focusing on small steps that add up over time.

Sessions are offered online and by phone, and she is able to work with people in different countries. To begin, a short matching questionnaire helps pair a person with the right appointment slot and format.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Client-Centred Therapy is about listening and responding to the person's priorities. Online sessions using this approach focus on giving space to talk and helping people name what matters most to them. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behaviour and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful habits; it suits anxiety, low mood and stress-related problems. EMDR is a trauma-focused method that works through distressing memories using guided processing; it can help people who have trauma-related symptoms.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and the issues you bring and together decide which methods to try. That collaborative decision can change over time as progress is made and needs evolve.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions happen. Video calls let people use visual cues and mirror an in-person meeting. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is low or a shorter, focused check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit those who prefer writing, want ongoing brief support, or need to fit contact around busy days. Registered or accredited professionals can use these formats to deliver the same therapeutic techniques used in face-to-face work, making it easier to fit counselling into everyday life.