Catherine Thomson, BACP

Catherine Thomson introduces herself as Kate and offers calm, practical support for people facing hard times. She is a BACP member and aims to make sessions straightforward and down to earth. Kate listens, helps people sort out immediate problems, and supports them as they decide what to change.

Kate works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, grief and coping with life changes. She also helps with issues such as parenting stress, chronic illness and pain, addiction, sleep problems, attention difficulties, body image and workplace pressures. She notes experience with diverse sexual orientations and cultural backgrounds.

Her style is person centred, which means the conversation follows the person in front of her rather than a fixed plan. She brings creative and solution-focused tools into sessions where helpful. Examples she uses include sand tray work, letter writing, vision boards, mindfulness and narrative techniques.

Clinical methods Kate draws on include cognitive behavioural ideas to spot unhelpful thinking, acceptance and commitment ideas to clarify values, and emotion-focused ways to improve connection and understanding. She aims to help people manage feelings, reduce anxiety, set goals and assert boundaries.

Before training as a counsellor she ran businesses and chaired a school PTA, and she has worked in charities and the private sector. That variety informs her practical approach and focus on useful, usable steps. To begin, clients follow a short matching questionnaire and then book sessions according to availability.

How therapeutic approaches work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice unhelpful thought patterns and decide what matters most to them. Online ACT sessions focus on practical exercises and values-based goals to reduce avoidance and increase meaningful action. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current closeness and trust. In an online setting this approach uses conversations and reflective work to improve emotional connection and relationship patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss your needs, goals and preferences and recommend methods that suit you. That choice is collaborative and can change as you make progress or as circumstances shift.

Many people find online therapy easier to fit into a busy life because it can reduce travel and allow shorter check-ins during a workday. If you are considering online sessions, confirm the exact session options before booking so you know what is offered. Online therapy can support the same kinds of practical work as face-to-face sessions, such as guided exercises, mindfulness practice and goal setting, and it can be a good way to keep continuity of care when life is changeable.