Paula Appleton, BACP, NCPS

Paula Appleton is a counsellor with 14 years of experience based in the United Kingdom. She holds BACP and NCPS credentials and sees people who are navigating difficult life moments. Paula aims to make sessions straightforward and practical so people can start making small changes sooner.

Paula uses an integrative approach, blending methods to match each person's needs rather than sticking to one fixed style. She draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Attachment-Based work, and adapts techniques as conversations progress. This means sessions can focus on thoughts, feelings, behaviours or relationships depending on what the client needs that week.

She supports people with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addiction, grief, parenting strain, illness and chronic pain, and issues around identity and relationships. Paula also lists work with ADHD, compassion fatigue and career-related stress among her areas of focus. Her experience includes supporting people through abandonment and adoption-related matters, and age-related concerns.

Paula is experienced in working with Deaf and hard of hearing clients. She can use Signed Supported English or British Sign Language at an advanced level for people who need that communication style. Sessions are delivered in English and American Sign Language where appropriate.

Her approach is to listen first, then agree clear goals and practical steps. She encourages people to notice what helps them cope and to build on those strengths between sessions.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online counselling

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting tangled up in them, then choose actions that match their values; it can help with anxiety, depression and coping with long-term illness. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviours; it is often used for anxiety, low mood and sleep problems. Attachment-Based work looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and can be useful for intimacy issues, grief and relationship difficulties.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options with the client and agree a plan based on their needs, goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process and the chosen methods can change as progress is made.

The original profile does not list specific online formats, so please confirm available session types before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy day, cut travel time and allow quieter check-ins when people have limited time. It can also make it simpler to include Signed Supported English or British Sign Language where needed. Talk with the therapist about practical arrangements and how sessions can be scheduled to fit everyday life.