Paula Appleton , BACP, NCPS

Paula Appleton is a qualified counsellor with 14 years of experience who works in an integrative way, blending different therapeutic methods to match each person’s needs in line with the BACP Ethical Framework. She focuses on a broad range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family difficulties, addictions, grief, intimacy-related concerns, eating and sleeping problems, parenting and caregiver stress, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and many life transitions and coping challenges. Paula also works with less typical presentations such as abandonment, attachment differences, adoption and foster care issues, autism and Asperger syndrome, and blended family dynamics.

She is experienced supporting Deaf and hard-of-hearing people and provides services in both English and American Sign Language, paying careful attention to communication needs. Paula adapts pace and technique so that therapy fits the person rather than forcing a single model on every situation. She holds BACP and NCPS credentials - BACP being the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, a professional body for counsellors in the UK, and NCPS indicating an additional professional credential - and uses that training to offer thoughtful, evidence-informed care. Paula aims to create a respectful, collaborative space where individuals and families can explore difficult experiences and work toward meaningful change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Support Online

Paula commonly draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy, and she uses a client-centered stance to shape sessions around each person’s experience. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and learn practical ways to live alongside difficult thoughts and feelings rather than being controlled by them - it can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on relationships and early emotional bonds to understand current patterns of intimacy and trust, making it helpful for relationship issues, attachment difficulties, and some trauma-related concerns. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, respect, and collaboration, giving the person space to lead the pace and focus of therapy while the counsellor supports understanding and self-directed growth.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Paula works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods fit their goals, preferences, and circumstances, and she adapts techniques as the work evolves.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging let people access licensed professionals from different locations and fit therapy into busy lives. These options can make it easier to maintain continuity of care, attend sessions during life transitions, and choose the communication style that feels most comfortable.