Virginia Bowley, BACP

Virginia Bowley is a counsellor with 24 years of experience. She trained as a nurse and later worked for 25 years as a rehabilitation case manager supporting people after catastrophic injury. She has also worked with Cruse bereavement care, in private practice and at a further education college. She is an Accredited Counsellor with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).

Virginia draws on a long clinical background to help people facing loss, major life changes and long-term health challenges. She uses a calm, practical style and listens without judgment. Sessions aim to make difficult feelings easier to name and manage, and to identify steps that fit each person’s life.

Her approach includes client-centred work that follows each person’s pace and concerns. She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions link together and what small changes might help. These methods are used to support people with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, grief and coping with chronic illness or disability.

Virginia is based in the United Kingdom and works within the BACP code of ethics. She has monthly supervision. Her background in nursing and rehabilitation case management informs a practical focus on daily coping, independence and pacing when health issues are present.

Outside work she enjoys swimming, walking, cycling and reading. This practical outlook often shapes sessions, helping people find manageable ways to improve day-to-day functioning and feel steadier in difficult times.

How her approaches translate to online support

Client-Centred Therapy puts the person’s experience at the heart of sessions. The counsellor listens closely and follows the pace you prefer, helping you name feelings and decide what matters most to work on. This approach suits people dealing with grief, life transitions and long-term health concerns.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions interact. It breaks problems into manageable parts and tests small changes to see what improves mood or daily functioning. CBT can be useful for anxiety, low mood and coping with chronic symptoms.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with you about your goals, needs and preferences and help choose or blend methods that fit. That collaborative process aims to shape sessions around what helps you most.

The biography states the counsellor has completed training in online counselling, but it does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current online session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow check-ins from different locations. It can also allow shorter or more frequent sessions when that suits rehabilitation, chronic illness management or busy schedules.