Philip "Phil" Giles, BACP

Approaches that suit online therapy

Client-centred therapy focuses on the person rather than on labels; it means the counsellor follows what matters most to the individual and helps them find their own solutions. This approach is useful for people dealing with anxiety, life purpose questions and relationship worries. Dialectical behaviour therapy, or DBT, teaches specific skills for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance and strengthening interpersonal effectiveness. It can be helpful for people who feel overwhelmed by strong feelings or impulsivity. Mindfulness therapy uses simple attention and breathing practices to reduce rumination and increase present-moment awareness, which often helps with stress and anxiety.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, preferences and how symptoms show up, then agree together which methods to try first. That collaborative process allows techniques to be adapted over time if something feels unhelpful.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging, giving flexibility for different needs. Video calls recreate face-to-face conversation, phone sessions need less bandwidth, live chat can work for quick check-ins and messaging supports more frequent short exchanges. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, travel or caring commitments while keeping consistent contact with a registered professional.