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Gillian Smith, BACP, NCPS

Credentials: BACP, NCPS
Experience: 4 years
Practising in: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Sessions: Online only
Client ages: Adults, 18 and over

Works with Stress, Anxiety Grief Self esteem Depression

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Gillian Smith helps people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief or low self-esteem. She makes space for honest conversation and focuses on what matters to each person. Gillian writes in straightforward language and aims to make the first step feel achievable.

She uses a person-centred way of working, which keeps the client's experience at the heart of each session. That means listening closely, reflecting what is heard, and encouraging self-direction so people can find solutions that fit their lives.

Background and approach

Gillian trained in psychotherapeutic counselling and holds an Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling earned after retraining in 2019. She also lists BACP and NCPS among her credentials, which are noted as supplied qualifications. Her professional background includes four years practising as a counsellor in the UK alongside earlier roles across other people-focused work.

Her practice addresses a wide spread of concerns including depression, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, anger, career worries, coping with life changes and ADHD. She also offers focused help for abandonment and attachment issues, communication problems, guilt and shame, and building self-love.

Gillian describes her own experience of anxiety, grief and childhood trauma as part of what motivated her to retrain. She tailors conversation and the therapeutic plan to each person's needs and preferences, and treats taking the first step as a courageous move she is ready to support.

Approaches that guide online counselling

Client-centred therapy focuses on the person's present experience and aims to create space for them to lead the conversation. The counsellor listens closely, reflects back what they hear and helps the person identify their own solutions; this approach often helps with anxiety, low self-esteem and life changes.

Psychodynamic therapy looks at recurring emotional patterns and links between past experiences and current feelings. It can be useful for understanding attachment issues, abandonment worries and repeated relationship difficulties by bringing patterns into view and discussing them together.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferences and will suggest how client-centred and psychodynamic ideas can be used together. This is a collaborative process and adjustments are made as the work proceeds.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit counselling around daily life, reduce travel time and make short check-ins possible when schedules are busy. It can also help people access support from their home area without changing where they live, while the practical format and scheduling are agreed directly with the counsellor.

What concerns does Gillian commonly help with?

She works with people facing stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem and depression, as well as relationship and family concerns and the effects of trauma and abuse.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Gillian practises person-centred therapy, giving space for people to direct sessions and feel heard, and also uses psychodynamic ideas to look at patterns and past influences.

What background does she bring to counselling?

She retrained in 2019 and holds an Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, building on decades of earlier people-focused work and four years practising as a counsellor.

Where is Gillian based and how are credentials shown?

She practises in the United Kingdom and lists BACP and NCPS among her supplied credentials.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the UK work with her?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How does cost and payment work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

What steps are needed to begin working with her?

Choose the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of focus

What this therapist works with

Most often

Also listed

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 4 years
Registered with: BACP, NCPS
Languages: English

Contacting Gillian

Gillian takes enquiries through BetterHelp. You answer a few questions about what you are looking for, then arrange sessions if it seems like a fit. Browsing costs nothing and you are not committing to anything by reading this page.

Gillian Smith, BACP, NCPS

Background and approach

Approaches that guide online counselling

Areas of focus

What this therapist works with

Others working with stress, anxiety