Ranka Smith, BACP

Ranka Smith brings 26 years of counselling experience in the United Kingdom. She is registered with the BACP, and offers calm, practical support for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety or depression. Ranka speaks English, Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian and works with clients who face relationship difficulties, self‑esteem struggles, and challenges around parenting and intimacy.

She focuses on making sessions straightforward and approachable. Conversations are paced to each person's needs. Ranka listens closely to understand how patterns from the past affect life now and helps people set clear, achievable steps for change.

Her work draws on attachment‑based ideas to look at how early bonds shape trust and closeness. She also uses client‑centred methods that place the person's experience at the heart of the work. Cognitive behavioural techniques are used when people want practical tools to manage thoughts and moods.

Ranka supports people dealing with grief, trauma, addiction and compassion fatigue, as well as those coping with life transitions and ageing concerns. She pays attention to family of origin issues, body image and communication problems when these come up in sessions.

Sessions can be held by video, phone, live chat or text messaging to match different needs. International clients are welcome. Getting started involves a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a time that suits both the client and the therapist.

How Ranka’s approaches translate to online therapy

Ranka uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape trust and closeness. This helps when people struggle with intimacy, abandonment fears or repeating patterns in relationships. Client-centred work means the person's experience guides each session and the therapist follows their lead to build focus and pace.

She also draws on cognitive behavioural therapy, offering clear strategies to manage anxious thoughts and low mood. CBT techniques are useful for people who want homework-style tools, short-term skill building and ways to track progress between sessions. Together these approaches help combine understanding of past patterns with practical skills for day-to-day coping.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Ranka will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most useful, and then tailor sessions collaboratively. Clients are involved in deciding whether to focus on understanding relationships, practising behavioural changes, or both.

Online sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to make counselling more flexible. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low. Live chat or messaging can suit brief check-ins or times when writing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and travel commitments, and to continue work from different locations.