Richard Gordon-Smith , NCPS

Richard Gordon-Smith supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties. He also helps with parenting pressures, addiction concerns, grief, self-esteem and issues around intimacy and sexuality. Richard makes space for people facing life changes, career strain, ADHD challenges and compassion fatigue. He works with a wide range of personal concerns including eating and sleeping problems, anger, bipolar mood challenges and attachment difficulties.

Richard studied psychology before completing an Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling with the University of Manchester. He holds NCPS, which is shown as NCPS in his credentials. He has worked in mental health settings for 13 years and brings that practical experience into sessions.

His approach is integrative and practical. He blends client-centred listening with emotion-focused ways of working, cognitive behavioural techniques and psychodynamic ideas. Sessions are aimed at helping people make sense of feelings, notice unhelpful patterns and try small, manageable changes.

In conversation he keeps language plain and direct. He aims to offer a respectful, non-judgemental space where people can talk about what matters to them. Parents will find support for fatherhood and blended family issues, and people from LGBT backgrounds are also listed among his focus areas.

People can expect a collaborative process that balances short-term problem solving with deeper exploration when needed. He is based in the United Kingdom and works with clients in English, including people living outside the UK.

How Richard’s approaches translate to online counselling

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns. In sessions this looks like talking about relational patterns, noticing how past bonds affect present behaviour, and building ways of relating that feel safer and more reliable. Client-Centred Therapy centres the person’s experience - the counsellor listens closely, reflects what is heard and helps the client find their own direction; it works well for people who need acceptance and clearer self-understanding.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Richard collaborates with each person to decide whether a relational focus, person-centred listening or more structured cognitive work is most useful. Goals, preferences and how people respond in early sessions guide which methods are used together.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, which offer flexibility for different routines. Video calls let conversations feel close to face-to-face, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options help people fit therapy around work, family and travel while working with a registered or accredited professional.