MARK O'NEILL, BACP

MARK O'NEILL is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom with a BACP registration and four years of professional experience. He focuses on helping people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression or life changes. He also supports clients dealing with addictions, relationship difficulties, grief and issues around intimacy and self-esteem.

He works from the view that each person knows their story best. Sessions aim to build on existing strengths and make small, practical steps toward clearer choices. Conversations are straightforward and grounded, with space to look at feelings, patterns and what matters to each person day to day.

In practice he draws on client-centred methods to keep the person central to the work. Cognitive behavioural techniques are used to spot unhelpful thinking and try different ways of coping. Emotion-focused ideas help when relationships and attachment leave people feeling stuck.

Mark also uses elements of narrative and existential approaches to help people make sense of painful experiences and find meaning after loss or change. This can be useful for issues such as abandonment, codependency, body image or struggles with identity and purpose.

Sessions are conversational and paced to the individual. He offers practical tools alongside reflective conversations, and supports people who want coaching-style help as well as therapy. Work may include short-term goal setting or longer explorations depending on what the person needs.

How Mark’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centred Therapy places the person at the heart of each session. The counsellor follows the client's lead, listens carefully and helps people name what matters to them, which suits conversations about relationships, parenting and self-esteem.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, focuses on spotting thought patterns and trying small behavioural experiments. It is practical and useful for anxiety, sleeping problems, anger and coping with life changes.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people look at attachment and the emotional patterns shaping close relationships. It can be helpful when intimacy, abandonment or communication problems cause repeated conflict or distance.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk through options, try techniques together and adjust the plan based on the person's goals and preferences. Some people start with a short, goal-focused block; others prefer more open-ended exploration and that can change over time.

Online sessions offer practical flexibility. Video calls work well for longer, face-to-face style conversations. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit into a work break. Live chat or text-based messaging can suit shorter check-ins, written reflection or people who prefer not to be on camera. These options make it easier to keep therapy happening around busy lives.