About Joel
Joel Burns is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression and relationship concerns. He also supports those facing trauma, grief, addictions and parenting strain. Joel offers straightforward, practical guidance for everyday struggles.
He aims for a calm and compassionate style. Sessions focus on what matters now, alongside patterns that stretch back into the past. Joel listens and asks clear questions to help people make sense of their feelings and choices.
Background and approach
His approach mixes talking therapies with goal-focused work. He uses cognitive behavioural ideas to spot unhelpful thinking and acceptance-based methods to build tolerance for difficult emotions. Motivational interviewing helps with change when people feel stuck.
Joel describes his way of working as client-centred. He works at the client’s pace and uses simple exercises to build coping skills. This can include practical problem solving, breathing and grounding tools, and ways to notice patterns in relationships and behaviour.
Originally from the United States, Joel has worked and studied in several countries and values cultural diversity. He holds NCPS as a credential and brings six years of professional counselling experience to his practice. People can expect a direct but gentle counsellor who aims to help them build insight, make changes and find clearer next steps.
The focus is on practical strategies and personal growth rather than jargon or long theory.
How approach and online sessions work together
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to notice difficult thoughts and feelings without being ruled by them. It helps when anxiety or painful memories get in the way of living a valued life. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviours. It is useful for anxiety, panic, sleep and low mood by teaching practical steps to change patterns.Choosing the right approach is part of the work Joel does with each person. He will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most helpful. This is a collaborative process where methods are adapted to fit the individual rather than using a fixed programme.
Online sessions can be arranged as video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs. Video works well for deeper conversation and non-verbal cues, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging can fit short check-ins or days when writing feels better. These options make therapy more flexible around work, family or travel and help people keep progress between sessions while using approaches like ACT and CBT.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating disorders
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 6 years
- Licensed
- Languages
- English
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