Debra Maxwell, BACP

Debra Maxwell helps people who feel overwhelmed, stuck or uncertain about the next step. She makes space for honest conversation and listens without judgment. The first part of meeting her is about understanding what matters most to you and what you want to change. She uses a person-centred way of working that puts the client's experience at the centre. That means sessions focus on what the person brings each week and on building trust before tackling difficult emotions. Practical steps are introduced when they suit the person's needs and timing. Debra has 18 years of professional experience in the United Kingdom and carries the BACP credential, which reflects a professional registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Over time she has supported people facing stress, anxiety and depression as well as grief and major life changes. Her work also addresses trauma and abuse, eating and sleeping difficulties, anger, self-esteem, addictions and workplace strain. She helps people dealing with attachment issues, caregiver stress, dissociation and post-traumatic stress. Issues such as isolation, guilt, self-harm and sexual assault are also within her focus areas. Sessions aim to help people explore feelings, reframe perspectives and build coping strategies that fit real life. Debra adapts the pace to each person and may use different tools alongside a client-centred approach. She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text messaging to make therapy easier to fit around daily life.

Person-centred approaches and online therapy

Debra works from a person-centred perspective, which means she follows the client's lead and focuses on understanding their lived experience. This approach helps when people need a non-judgemental space to make sense of feelings such as anxiety, grief, shame or low self-worth.

She may also use practical conversational work alongside person-centred counselling when a client wants concrete coping steps. That kind of brief, focused support can help with sleep or eating problems, managing anger, or handling workplace stress without losing sight of the person's deeper concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the process and is decided together. The therapist will help identify goals, try methods that match those goals, and adjust the plan based on what feels most helpful and manageable for the client.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation, phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins, and messaging can fit into busy days or provide ongoing reflection. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, caring duties or travel commitments while keeping continuity of care with registered or accredited professionals.