Virginia Messina, NCPS

Virginia Messina writes plainly and directly. She creates a straightforward, non-judgemental space for people dealing with relationship pain, trauma, grief, stress and anxiety. She is comfortable being present, sometimes challenging, and brings a little humour when it fits. Virginia uses English and Italian and holds NCPS as a credential. She trained at the University of Central Lancashire where she completed a Foundation Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Her early clinical work included supporting people at a domestic violence centre, which shaped her understanding of relational trauma and safety. That experience informs how she holds difficult material in sessions. Virginia uses client-centred principles alongside mindfulness and narrative methods. Sessions focus on what matters to the person in front of her - exploring patterns, feelings of abandonment, shame or codependency, and ways to build healthier habits. She welcomes creative methods such as art, poetry or music when they help people connect with emotions. Therapy with her is collaborative. She emphasises shared responsibility and clear boundaries, including a preference for formal address in Italian to keep a respectful frame. She is upfront about not offering quick fixes and expects honest engagement rather than idealising the therapist. Her practical style aims to help people reconnect with inner freedom and choose how they want to live. Conversations are real and steady, aimed at finding sustainable change rather than immediate answers.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening without judgement and helping people find their own answers. Online sessions let that open, reflective conversation continue through video, phone or text in a way that fits daily life.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and grounding practices to reduce reactivity and manage stress. These techniques adapt well to remote work: short guided exercises, breathing checks and moment-to-moment awareness can be practised between sessions.

Narrative Therapy helps people separate themselves from unhelpful stories and rewrite how they see their past and present. Through talking, writing or creative tasks used in sessions, clients can reshape meaning and test new perspectives even when working online.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the person to choose or combine methods based on needs, goals and preferences. That decision is reviewed over time so the approach stays useful and relevant.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions work when lower bandwidth or a quieter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging suit shorter updates, reflective exercises or days when typing feels easier than talking. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and different routines.