Andrew Ellis MA

Therapeutic approaches for online sessions

Many sessions draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which helps people notice difficult thoughts and still act in line with their values. ACT is useful for worry, depression and coping with life changes because it focuses on taking small, meaningful steps rather than fighting thoughts.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is often used to spot unhelpful thinking and test new behaviours. CBT can help with anxiety, sleeping problems, low mood and stress by breaking problems into manageable parts and practising different responses.

Mindfulness therapy is included to build awareness of thoughts and bodily reactions and to reduce reactivity. Simple mindfulness exercises can be practised between sessions to steady emotion and improve focus.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the person about their goals and preferences and together decide what methods to try. That collaborative process can change as needs shift, with an emphasis on what is helpful in day-to-day life.

Online sessions make therapy more flexible. Video calls let visual cues and face-to-face conversation guide the work. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or for brief check-ins. Live chat and text messaging suit shorter updates, reflection between sessions or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options help people fit therapy around work, family and other responsibilities.