About Paul
Paul Cleland is a counsellor with ten years of experience based in the United Kingdom. He supports people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low self-esteem or depression. He also helps with relationship strain, grief, anger and major life changes.
Paul begins by listening to each person's story and looking for their strengths. He sees clients as the experts in their own lives and works alongside them to build clearer coping skills.
Background and approach
The first meetings focus on what matters most and on small, achievable steps. He blends body-focused work with talking therapy. Paul uses somatic techniques to notice and release emotional tension held in the body.
He also draws on Internal Family Systems ideas to gently map different parts of a person’s inner experience and their needs. Sessions aim to uncover stuck patterns and find practical ways forward. People may practise grounding, breathing or gentle movement, and then reflect on what those sensations reveal.
The pace is steady and collaborative, with attention to comfort and readiness. Paul is interested in themes such as forgiveness, guilt and shame, isolation and self-love. He offers a calm, down-to-earth presence to help people move from surviving towards more satisfying everyday life.
How somatic and parts-based work fits online
Paul uses Somatic Therapy to help people notice bodily signals such as tension, breath patterns or tightness and learn simple practices to ease those sensations. This work can highlight how emotions show up in the body and offer concrete ways to reduce physical stress during everyday life.He also draws on Internal Family Systems, which helps identify different inner parts that carry emotions or beliefs. That approach uses calm dialogue to understand those parts and encourage more balanced internal relationships, useful for anxiety, guilt and self-criticism.
Finding the right mix of methods is a shared process. Paul discusses goals and preferences in the first sessions and adapts the approach as trust grows. He will work with clients to decide whether more somatic practice, parts-focused conversation, or a blend suits their situation.
Online therapy offers flexibility across several formats. Video calls let the therapist and client see non-verbal signals and try movement or breathing exercises together. Phone sessions need less bandwidth and can be easier for short check-ins. Live chat and text messaging give ongoing access between sessions for notes, reflections or brief support. These options make it simpler to fit therapy around work, family and other commitments.
Questions people ask
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Which session formats are available?
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Anger management
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Relationship issues
- Self-love
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- Languages
- English
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