Sharon Gallagher, BACP

Sharon Gallagher is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom with 24 years of professional experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression and major life changes. Sharon aims to be respectful and compassionate in every conversation. She adapts her approach to each person rather than using a one-size-fits-all plan.

Sharon uses everyday language in sessions and focuses on practical steps people can try between meetings. She draws on client-centred work to build a trusting space where the person leads the pace and topics. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is used to identify unhelpful thought patterns and test out small behaviour changes.

When appropriate Sharon offers mindfulness practices to help with worry and sleeping difficulties. She also uses solution-focused techniques to set clear, achievable goals and track progress. Hypnotherapy is available as another option for people who respond well to guided relaxation and suggestion.

Sharon supports people dealing with relationship and intimacy-related difficulties, parenting strain, anger, self-esteem and career concerns. She also addresses issues such as abandonment, attachment problems, codependency, and the emotional impact of illness or loss. Conversations are shaped around what the person needs that week.

Sessions are held online by video, phone, live chat or messaging to fit different routines. Sharon encourages a collaborative process - clients and counsellor plan the goals and decide what works best. Taking the first step can feel hard, and she aims to make that step easier.

Approaches that translate well to online work

Client-centred therapy focuses on listening and following what matters most to the person. In online sessions this means the counsellor mirrors concerns and helps the client set the pace and topics to tackle. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and uses practical exercises to test new ways of thinking and behaving; it can help with anxiety, depression and sleep problems. Mindfulness therapy offers simple breathing and awareness exercises to reduce rumination and improve focus, which many people find useful between sessions.

Choosing a therapeutic approach is part of the process, and Sharon will work collaboratively to find what fits best. She will discuss goals, preferences and how someone responds to different techniques, and then adapt the mix of client-centred listening, CBT tools or mindfulness practices accordingly.

Online formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video gives face-to-face interaction, phone can be easier if bandwidth is limited, live chat suits quick check-ins, and messaging supports shorter reflections over time. These options aim to increase flexibility and help people keep momentum between sessions.