Kimberley Long

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Client-centred work focuses on the person's concerns and priorities. It involves a supportive, listening approach that helps people feel heard and decide what to address next. This approach suits worries about self-esteem, relationship issues and life changes.

Cognitive behavioural therapy, CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions. It uses clear exercises and small experiments to reduce anxiety, low mood and unhelpful habits. CBT adapts well to video or phone sessions where worksheets and behaviour plans can be used between meetings.

Dialectical behaviour therapy, DBT, teaches practical skills for managing strong emotions and improving relationships. It includes mindfulness and distress-tolerance techniques that can be practised in short exercises during live chat or text exchanges as well as in calls.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapy process. Kimberley will work together with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs and preferences. That collaborative planning means the way forward can be adjusted as progress is made.

Online sessions are flexible and can fit busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and screen-sharing of worksheets. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a quieter voice check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, skill practice and when someone prefers writing to speaking.