Waverley Young, BACP

Waverley Young is a counsellor with 15 years' experience who works with people facing loss, anxiety and life changes. He is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and draws on grief work, cognitive approaches and person-centred listening in sessions. He aims to help people feel understood and to build practical ways forward.

Waverley spent much of his career in Local Authority settings, children's services, charities and private practice. That experience includes supporting people affected by adoption, fostering and leaving care. He also worked as a foster carer and as a family worker, which informs his practical, hands-on perspective.

His background includes diplomas in counselling and psychotherapy, a diploma in clinical counselling supervision, and a diploma in cognitive behaviour therapy. He is also an accredited Cruse bereavement counsellor. These qualifications underpin his work with grief, trauma, depression and related concerns.

In sessions he combines Client-Centred listening with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Solution-Focused techniques. That means he listens first, helps people spot unhelpful thinking patterns, and works towards realistic small steps that can make life easier. He keeps language plain and focuses on what clients want to change.

Waverley supports people with stress, relationship and family struggles, parenting and fatherhood issues, eating and body image concerns, low self-esteem, anger, and social anxiety. He also helps people dealing with trauma, self-harm thoughts, phobias and bereavement. He works in English and sees clients in the United Kingdom and internationally via online sessions.

He also offers clinical supervision to other counsellors, bringing practical insight from a range of settings. People who want a straightforward, collaborative approach often find his style helpful.

How Waverley uses talking therapies online

Waverley uses Client-Centred Therapy to create a respectful, non-judgemental space where the person's experience comes first. This approach is about listening carefully and following the client's priorities to help them feel heard and understood.

He also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to identify unhelpful thinking and behaviours. CBT sessions focus on simple tools and practical exercises that can reduce anxiety, improve mood and change patterns that cause distress.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Waverley will work together with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That collaboration helps shape the pacing, tools and homework so therapy feels relevant and doable.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation; phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and messaging suit shorter check-ins, ongoing reflection between sessions, or people who prefer typed communication. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caring duties and everyday life while keeping the same therapeutic focus.