Mary Harrington

Approaches that suit online counselling

Client-centred therapy places the person’s own experience at the heart of sessions and helps build trust and clarity through open listening and reflection. It is useful for people who need a steady, supportive space to talk things through.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviours and offers practical steps to reduce anxiety, depression and unhelpful patterns. Sessions often include simple exercises and homework to practise new ways of coping between meetings.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, EMDR, is a trauma-focused method that helps reduce the intensity of distressing memories. It can be used when past events continue to affect day-to-day life and people want a targeted way to work through those memories.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options, explain what each method involves and agree a plan based on the person’s goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process and can change as needs evolve.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow visual connection similar to face-to-face meetings. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone does not want to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging give short, focused check-ins and written reflections that can fit around work or caregiving. Registered or accredited professionals use these formats to make therapy easier to attend and to adapt to different routines.