Muriel Tafts, BACP

Muriel Tafts trained in counselling and holds a Foundation Degree in Integrated Counselling. She uses a mix of person-centred, cognitive behavioural and psychodynamic ideas. Muriel has four years of post-qualification experience and a further two years from placements while studying. She is based in the United Kingdom and is registered with the BACP.

Muriel aims to create an open space where people can talk about difficult feelings without judgment. She encourages curiosity about patterns of thought, feeling and behaviour so people can notice what keeps problems going. Practical suggestions and short between-session tasks are offered when helpful.

Assessment and early goal-setting are part of her approach. Muriel usually agrees counselling goals within the first three sessions and checks progress every four weeks. This gives clear milestones and helps keep therapy focused on what matters to the client.

She has experience helping with stress, anxiety and low mood. Muriel also supports people dealing with relationship strain, trauma and abuse, career concerns and life changes. Additional focus areas include attachment and abandonment issues, communication problems, guilt and shame, impulsivity and loneliness.

Muriel is studying for an MSc in Workplace Health and Wellbeing and has undertaken training in topics such as addiction, depression, and the neuroscience of ADHD and autism spectrum conditions. Her background informs practical work around workplace issues, money worries and finding life purpose.

Sessions are aimed at finding small, manageable changes. Muriel offers straightforward explanations of psychological processes and helps people try things between sessions to test what works. She describes therapy as a shared process that helps people find their own way forward.

How her approaches work online

Client-Centred Therapy is about offering a respectful, non-judgemental space where the client's own concerns lead the work. It helps when someone needs to be heard and supported while they find their own answers. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact and introduces practical exercises to break unhelpful cycles; it suits worries like anxiety, social phobia and work stress. Psychodynamic Therapy pays attention to patterns that repeat over time and the emotional reasons behind them, which can help with relationship issues, attachment concerns and deeper-rooted feelings.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what feels useful, then agree a plan together. This collaborative process means methods can be adjusted as understanding grows and priorities change.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation; phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a quieter connection is needed. Live chat and messaging suit shorter check-ins or people who prefer writing. These options help fit therapy around work, family and daily life while keeping the focus on progress and practical steps.