Lynda Somerville, BACP

Lynda Somerville works from a collaborative, person-centred approach to help people manage stress, anxiety and relationship difficulties. She creates a calm, non-judgemental space where someone can talk through what feels overwhelming and start to find practical ways forward. Lynda is named up front because she believes clarity helps people decide quickly if she might be the right counsellor for them.

She holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - BACP. Lynda also completed a PG Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and uses those skills to help people notice patterns of thinking and behaviour that make problems worse. Sessions focus on clear, manageable steps rather than abstract theory.

Over four years she has worked with adults on stress at work, caring responsibilities and burnout. She also supports people coping with anxiety, low self-esteem, low mood, grief, loss and big life changes. Lynda aims to help people feel steadier and more able to cope in daily life.

Her style is gentle and practical. Conversations are led by the person's pace and priorities. Practical tools and simple exercises are offered where helpful, and progress is reviewed together.

Practical information is discussed early so people know what to expect from sessions. Lynda encourages anyone who is unsure to complete a short questionnaire and schedule an initial appointment to see how the working relationship feels.

Evidence-based approaches and online therapy

Many of her sessions draw on cognitive behavioural therapy principles to help people spot and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns. This approach uses simple steps and exercises to reduce anxiety, improve mood and manage stress.

She also uses person-centred ideas, which mean conversations follow the person's priorities and pace. That helps people feel heard and involved in planning realistic next steps for coping and problem solving.

Choosing which approach to use is a shared process. The therapist discusses goals, preferences and what has or has not worked before, then agrees a plan with the person. Adjustments are made as progress is reviewed so the method fits the situation.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat and text messaging to make therapy easier to fit into life. Video is useful for in-depth conversations and exercises, phone can work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins and text messaging helps with ongoing support between longer sessions. These options increase flexibility and make it simpler to keep continuity of care with registered or accredited professionals.