Hilary Carter, BACP

Hilary Carter is a counsellor registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She has four years of professional experience helping people cope with stress, anxiety, grief and loss, and problems linked to trauma and abuse.

Her style is warm and respectful. She listens first, then works with each person to tailor a plan that fits their needs. She focuses on clear, practical steps and gentle conversation rather than jargon or long lectures.

In sessions she draws on client-centred therapy to keep the conversation focused on the person’s own experience. She also uses cognitive behavioural techniques to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and build different ways of responding. Mindfulness and solution-focused ideas help with short-term relief and practical changes.

People come to her with a range of struggles. These include relationship and intimacy-related issues, self-esteem and career worries, addiction concerns, parenting strains, and coping with major life changes. She also supports those dealing with chronic illness, caregiver stress, bereavement, and the impact of domestic violence or separation.

Hilary invites a collaborative approach. She will agree goals, check what’s working, and adjust sessions as needed. New clients begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and then arrange sessions that suit their schedule.

All work is offered in English and sessions are provided across the United Kingdom by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Costs vary with location and use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

Approaches you can use online with a counsellor

Hilary often uses client-centred work and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in online sessions. Client-centred therapy means the conversation stays focused on the person and their priorities, with the counsellor offering empathy and reflective questions to help people make sense of their feelings. CBT helps identify unhelpful thinking patterns and practises small behavioural changes to reduce anxiety or low mood.

She also uses mindfulness and solution-focused ideas when they fit someone’s goals. Mindfulness builds simple attention and breathing exercises to ease stress. Solution-focused work concentrates on small, practical steps and what people want to see happen next. Choosing an approach is a shared process - she will discuss options, try methods in sessions, and adapt plans based on what helps most.

Online therapy offers flexibility that can make it easier to keep regular contact. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be a quicker check-in when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging suit shorter updates or when writing feels easier. These formats let people fit sessions around work, caregiving, or health needs while still using practical therapeutic tools.