Matthew Black, NCPS

Matthew Black uses a client-centred, practical style to help people feel steadier in day-to-day life. He keeps sessions straightforward and respectful. He aims to hear each person’s story and work with them to set clear, achievable goals.

He has five years of professional experience supporting people through grief and major life changes. He also helps with stress, anxiety, depression and addictions. Matthew works with concerns around self-esteem, relationship difficulties, family matters and issues related to LGBT identity and gender dysphoria.

His approach adapts to the person in front of him. He draws on client-centred ways of working to make space for what matters most to the client. He also uses cognitive behavioural techniques to identify unhelpful thinking and DBT skills to manage strong emotions and improve coping.

In practical sessions he talks through specific strategies and builds skills together. Sessions might include breaking problems into small steps, practising new ways of responding, and checking progress week to week. He explains options clearly so people can choose what feels right.

Matthew aims to offer a calm, non-judgemental place for change. He focuses on supporting people to feel empowered and more able to manage life’s challenges. The work is collaborative and paced to each person’s needs.

Approaches that translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and following the person's lead to understand what matters most. It helps when someone needs to feel heard and to set their own goals. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and teaches practical steps to change unhelpful patterns; it suits anxiety, depression and stress-related problems. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, or DBT, offers skills for managing intense emotions and improving distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness.

Choosing the best approach is something the therapist does together with the client. Matthew will discuss goals, try out techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps. That collaborative process aims to match tools to the person's needs and preferences rather than imposing a single method.

Online therapy makes these approaches more accessible. Video calls let people work face to face from different locations. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth or camera use is an issue. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins, ongoing skill practice and people who prefer writing. These formats offer flexibility for fitting therapy around work, family and travel while keeping the focus on practical progress.