Susan Pollard, NCPS

Susan Pollard is a counsellor with seven years of experience working in the counselling field. She offers a calm, non-judgemental space where people can talk through difficult feelings and decide what changes they want to make. Susan uses a partnership approach that treats each person as the expert in their own life.

She focuses on what is happening now while recognising how past events can affect present reactions. Sessions look at beliefs people hold about themselves and whether those beliefs still fit. That might include worries about anxiety, stress, relationships, grief, addiction, or changes such as midlife transitions.

Susan draws on client-centred methods to keep the conversation directed by the person sitting opposite her. She also uses mindfulness practices to help people notice thoughts and feelings without getting overwhelmed. Both approaches aim to make coping feel more manageable day to day.

Her work also attends to practical pressures like caregiving stress, body image concerns, career strain and isolation. Susan pays attention to family of origin issues and how they shape current communication and intimacy patterns. Culture and diversity are part of how she thinks about someone's situation.

Sessions are straightforward and paced to what the individual needs. Susan supports people through grief, trauma, anger and low self-esteem with empathy and clear, simple conversation. She helps people take small steps that add up to meaningful change.

How client-centred and mindfulness approaches work online

Susan uses client-centred methods that focus on the person and their priorities. This approach means sessions follow what matters most to the individual, with the counsellor offering empathy and reflection rather than directing the agenda. It is helpful for people who want to feel heard and make their own decisions about change.

She also uses mindfulness therapy to teach simple skills for noticing thoughts, bodily sensations and emotions. Those practices can reduce reactivity and help with anxiety, stress, anger and overwhelming memories. Mindfulness exercises are easy to practise between sessions and can be adapted to short online formats.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Susan will discuss goals and preferences together and try methods that fit the person's needs. That collaborative planning means techniques can be adjusted over time as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls are closest to in-person conversation and allow visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging suit people who prefer typing or want brief, frequent contact between longer sessions. These options make it simpler to fit counselling around work, caregiving and other daily demands.