Matthew Watson

How these approaches translate to online therapy

Client-centred therapy places the person’s experience at the heart of the work. The therapist listens closely and follows the client’s pace and priorities, helping people name what matters and decide next steps. This approach suits people who want a calm, conversational space to talk things through.

Solution-focused therapy concentrates on small, practical changes. Sessions often involve setting clear, short-term goals and testing simple steps between meetings. This can be helpful for stress, motivation, relationship concerns and when someone wants concrete progress in a few sessions.

Trauma-focused work looks at how past events continue to affect present life. It uses careful, paced techniques to reduce the hold of painful memories and to build new ways of coping. This approach is offered when trauma is a clear part of the problem and the client is ready to address it.

Finding the best approach is part of the process and the therapist will collaborate on that choice. He will discuss preferences, goals and any practical limits and then suggest a way forward. Plans can change as work progresses to reflect what is most helpful.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversation, phone calls can fit into a shorter break or require less bandwidth, and messaging suits quick check-ins or ongoing written support. These options make it easier to build therapy around work, family or mobility needs and to keep continuity when travel or relocation happens.