Laura Howard, BACP

Laura Howard welcomes people who are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck and want a calm space to talk things through. She offers straightforward support for stress, anxiety, depression, grief and relationship difficulties. Laura also helps with concerns around identity, intimacy, eating and self-esteem. She works in English and is based in the United Kingdom.

Laura uses a blend of approaches that centre the person's experience. She listens without judgement and focuses on what matters to the individual in front of her. Early sessions are used to agree what to work on and how best to do that together.

Her background includes training in psychodynamic and humanistic approaches, and she is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - BACP. She has five years' experience working in private practice and has supported people from the LGBT community.

Laura has completed a certificate in adoption counselling and offers help to people affected by adoption and special guardianship orders. She pays attention to attachment patterns, shame, loss and questions of identity when these are relevant to the person’s story.

Sessions are conversational and personal. Laura aims to make the room feel warm and compassionate, while helping people make small, practical changes that make daily life easier.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions

Laura draws on attachment-based work to look at how early relationships shape current bonds and emotional responses; this can be useful for people dealing with intimacy issues, abandonment feelings or attachment patterns. She also uses client-centred principles which prioritise listening, empathy and the person's own goals to help people feel heard and make their own changes. Psychodynamic ideas are used when helpful to uncover recurring patterns or feelings linked to past experiences and to bring these into awareness.

Finding the right approach is a shared task. Laura will discuss your needs, goals and preferences and together you can choose which ideas to use and how to try them out. Therapy is presented as a collaborative process where methods are adjusted as understanding grows.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to provide practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that is helpful. Phone sessions can be easier when you need lower bandwidth or a shorter check-in. Live chat and messaging suit people who prefer writing or need brief, frequent contact rather than scheduled face-to-face time.