Melanie Farnworth, BACP

Melanie Farnworth offers calm, down-to-earth support for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low self-esteem or big life changes. She works in a straightforward way that helps someone name what is hard, explore options and try simple steps to feel steadier. Melanie is based in the United Kingdom and is a member of the BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

She draws on client-centred work to create a warm, non-judgemental space where people can talk openly. Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, is used alongside that to spot unhelpful thinking and try small changes in behaviour. Sessions focus on practical, achievable actions rather than abstract theory.

Melanie has four years' experience, including counselling people affected by cancer through a charity setting. That work has involved conversations about diagnosis, loss and the practical strain of illness for individuals and carers. She also supports people dealing with family conflict, relationship problems, parenting stress, and life transitions.

Common concerns she helps with include depression, social anxiety, ADHD-related challenges, grief, chronic illness and the isolation that can follow major change. Sessions are paced to suit the person, with space for feelings and time for problem-solving.

Her style is collaborative and hopeful. Melanie aims to help people build confidence, find coping strategies and make clearer choices. She encourages small steps that fit everyday life and reviews progress together.

How Melanie uses client-centred and CBT online

Melanie combines client-centred counselling with cognitive behavioural therapy to help people make sense of difficult moments. Client-centred work focuses on listening, acceptance and helping someone talk through feelings at their own pace; this approach is useful for grief, isolation and building self-worth. Cognitive behavioural therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers practical exercises to test and change unhelpful patterns, which can help with anxiety, low mood and stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and how you respond to different techniques, and then adapt sessions so they feel helpful. That collaborative planning means techniques are chosen to fit daily life rather than used as a one-size-fits-all method.

Online sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging, offering flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be easier on low bandwidth or when a shorter check-in is needed, and messaging or live chat suits regular, shorter exchanges and people who prefer written communication. These options make it easier to arrange sessions around work, care duties or travel and to keep continuity when circumstances change.