Rita Da Silva, BACP

Rita Da Silva uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help people manage stress, anxiety, grief, anger, low self-esteem and depression. She works in English and Portuguese and brings 17 years of practice in the United Kingdom to each conversation. Rita aims to create a calm, respectful atmosphere so people can speak openly about what matters most to them.

She focuses on practical ways to feel steadier day to day. Sessions explore thoughts, feelings and patterns that keep problems going. Rita helps people try new coping steps and notice small changes that matter over time.

Her background includes long-term experience supporting people through bereavement and loss, panic and social anxiety, and difficult life transitions such as separation. She also helps with attachment and abandonment concerns, body image, guilt and shame, and issues around sexuality and self-love.

Rita works with individuals who are juggling caregiving stress, communication problems, control issues, or a search for life purpose. She pays attention to how loneliness and isolation affect mood and behaviour, and to the impact of chronic worry and panic attacks.

Sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. People can begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a time that suits them. Rita describes therapy as a collaborative process focused on steady, achievable change.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online therapy

Rita draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on thinking patterns and practical coping skills. One common approach helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and test them against real life, which can reduce anxiety and low mood. Another approach emphasises developing new behaviours and gradual exposures to feared situations, useful for panic, social anxiety and avoidance.

Finding the best approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences and what has or hasn't helped before. Together they decide which techniques to try and adjust the plan as progress is made, so therapy stays relevant and manageable.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to make attending easier. Video calls let people talk face to face; phone sessions can be quicker and need less bandwidth. Live chat and messaging suit short check-ins, written reflections or people who prefer typing. These options help fit therapy around work, caring responsibilities and different routines while keeping focus on steady, practical change.