Martha Burling, BACP

Martha Burling helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction struggles, grief and low self-esteem. She is a BACP counsellor with six years of experience working in the United Kingdom. Martha aims to make the first step feel manageable for someone who is unsure or worried about beginning therapy.

Martha creates a calm and non-judgemental space where people can talk about what matters to them. She listens closely and responds with warmth and practical ideas. Sessions focus on understanding what keeps problems going and finding small, useful changes that fit everyday life.

Her approach blends straightforward, evidence-informed methods with a person-centred way of working. That means clients set the goals and the pace, and practical tools are offered to help meet those goals. Martha uses techniques that help people notice difficult thoughts and feelings, build better routines, and improve relationships with themselves and others.

She works with a wide range of concerns beyond mood and anxiety, including sleep and eating issues, parenting stress, career worries, compulsive behaviours and relationship difficulties. Martha is also experienced supporting people dealing with trauma, attachment and feelings of isolation.

Martha supports clients who are exploring identity, LGBT matters, or midlife and life-purpose questions. Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. She helps people break problems into manageable steps and regain a sense of control over daily life.

How Martha's Approaches Work Online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice uncomfortable thoughts without getting stuck in them. It focuses on identifying personal values and taking small actions that match those values, which can help with anxiety, depression and life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers practical techniques to change patterns that cause distress. It tends to be useful for anxiety, low mood, sleep problems and unhelpful habits.

Martha treats finding the right approach as a team effort. She will discuss different methods with each person, listen to their goals and preferences, and then try approaches that fit. If something does not feel helpful, she will adapt the plan so the work stays relevant and manageable.

Online sessions can be delivered by video call, phone, live chat or text messaging to suit different needs. Video calls work well for more in-depth sessions and visual contact. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, shorter reflections between sessions, or when writing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and keep progress going even when schedules change.