Victoria Hookway

How evidence-based approaches translate to online therapy

Person-centred work focuses on the client's priorities and pace. In practice this means the counsellor listens deeply, reflects back what they hear and helps the client uncover their own solutions. This style is useful for anxiety, low mood, grief and navigating life changes because it puts the client's experience at the centre.

Practical, skills-based techniques teach simple tools for day-to-day coping. These might include breathing and grounding exercises for anxiety, sleep routines for insomnia, or communication strategies for relationship and family problems. Such techniques are aimed at solving immediate problems and building steady habits.

Finding the right approach is a joint process. The therapist will discuss options, try things out and adjust methods based on the client's needs and goals. That collaborative way means therapy can shift between emotional processing and practical work as required.

Online formats offer flexibility for different preferences. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual connection helps. Phone sessions can be a good fit for lower bandwidth or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins, ongoing prompts, or people who find writing easier than talking. Together, these options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and to keep momentum between sessions.