Sophie Ibekwem, NCPS, BACP

Sophie Ibekwem helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression and relationship concerns. She supports clients dealing with self-esteem, grief, trauma and abuse, addictive behaviours, eating and sleeping problems, and difficulties around intimacy and parenting. Sophie also offers guidance for career strain, compassion fatigue and ADHD-related challenges.

Sophie works in a warm, non-judgemental way. She creates space for people to speak openly and to set goals that matter to them. Conversations focus on what the person wants to change and practical steps they can try between sessions. Sophie values each person's own knowledge of their life and decisions.

Her approach is person-centred, which means the client leads the pace and content of the work. Sophie listens with empathy and helps people notice patterns that get in the way of feeling better. She is currently studying Transactional Analysis and psychoanalytical theory to deepen how she understands relationship patterns.

Sophie holds NCPS and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She has worked in the field for six years and has experience supporting people who have come from difficult childhoods, experienced narcissistic or domestic abuse, or who want to build confidence and healthier boundaries.

Sessions can look different depending on what a person needs. Sophie tailors conversations and practical tasks to each situation. She emphasises respect, sensitivity and steady support as people work towards clearer goals and more manageable day-to-day coping.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Person-centred work focuses on listening and following what matters to the client. The therapist encourages people to set their own goals and supports them to try practical steps between sessions. This approach is useful for issues like low self-esteem, confidence building and finding clearer boundaries.

Transactional Analysis and psychoanalytic ideas look at patterns in how people relate and repeat old roles. Using these ways of thinking, Sophie helps clients notice recurring behaviours and emotional reactions so they can try new responses in everyday life. This can be helpful for attachment concerns, abandonment fears and relationship repeat patterns.

Finding the right approach is usually a shared process. Sophie will discuss different options and tailor the way of working to a person's goals and preferences. Together they decide what to focus on and adjust the plan as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation from elsewhere, phone sessions can fit into a short break or use less bandwidth, and messaging or chat can be used for quick check-ins or when writing feels easier. These formats make it simpler to fit therapy around work and daily life while keeping the focus on practical change.