Margaret Finnegan, BACP

Margaret Finnegan helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low mood or struggles with self-esteem. She works with individuals who are dealing with grief, relationship worries, guilt and shame, or who feel isolated and alone. She uses simple, conversational techniques so clients can start to feel steadier in everyday life.

Margaret is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She has five years' experience working one-to-one and in group settings promoting mental health awareness. She draws on her own life experience to offer an empathic, down-to-earth approach that aims to put clients at ease.

In sessions she helps people notice the link between thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. She uses client-centred listening to understand each person's world. She also uses cognitive behavioural ideas to help spot unhelpful thinking patterns and try different ways of responding.

Her style is practical and conversational. Sessions focus on what feels most important to the client right now. Margaret encourages small, manageable steps that can make daily life feel less heavy.

She offers a calm space to talk things through and to work on clearer thinking and greater self-compassion. People who want a straightforward, empathetic counsellor may find her approach useful.

How her approaches work online

Client-Centred Therapy is about being listened to and accepted. The counsellor reflects what the client says and helps them find their own solutions, which can help when feeling overwhelmed or unsure about relationships and self-worth.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts influence moods and behaviour. It helps people spot unhelpful thinking, try small experiments and build new responses to anxiety, low mood or social fears.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and agree what to try first, checking in as things progress so the plan can change if needed.

Online sessions give practical flexibility. Video calls let the counsellor pick up visual cues and allow a fuller conversation. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit quick reflections, ongoing support between sessions or for people who prefer writing their thoughts down.

These options make it easier to fit counselling around work, caring responsibilities and travel, while still working with registered or accredited professionals who use client-centred and CBT methods to support change.