Jacqueline McDowell, BACP

Jacqueline McDowell welcomes people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief or difficult relationships. She writes plainly and listens closely, helping people talk through what feels hard right now. Jacqueline aims to make sessions feel practical and steady, with space for creativity when that suits a client. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - BACP. Jacqueline has four years of clinical experience and professional development in the UK. Her background as an artist sometimes informs creative ways to think about problems. Jacqueline uses approaches that focus on values, thoughts and attachment patterns. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice thoughts without getting stuck. She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to spot unhelpful thinking and build different behaviours. Client-Centred work is central to her style, so people set the pace. Mindfulness practices and attachment-based ideas are used when they fit a person's goals. Sessions aim to be practical, short-term tasks alongside deeper conversations where needed. Her areas of focus include trauma and abuse, bereavement, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting concerns, eating and sleep difficulties, addiction and work-related stress. She also supports people with body image, chronic illness, communication problems and major life changes. Jacqueline offers a straightforward, collaborative way of working. She helps people identify what they want to change and then plans small, achievable steps to get there.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Jacqueline draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify what matters to them and take small, values-guided actions even when emotions are hard. This approach suits struggles like anxiety, depression and coping with life changes.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to identify thought patterns that feed distress and to practise new behavioural responses. CBT is useful for worries about work, sleep, eating and unhelpful cycles of thinking. Client-Centred Therapy underpins her way of working by placing the person’s priorities at the heart of every session and adapting pace and techniques to individual needs.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Jacqueline will discuss goals and preferences, and will try different methods to find what fits best. She treats the process as a collaboration, revisiting plans as progress unfolds.

Online therapy can make regular sessions easier to fit into busy lives. Video calls are close to face-to-face and allow clearer visual contact. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins, practical planning, or people who express themselves better in writing. These options give flexibility while keeping the focus on steady, goal-orientated progress with a registered professional.