About Richard
Richard Gordon-Smith welcomes people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, addiction and relationship concerns. He presents himself as a calm and direct counsellor who helps people talk through difficult feelings and find practical ways to cope. Richard works in English and offers sessions to people in the United Kingdom and internationally.
He studied psychology before completing an Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling with the University of Manchester.
Background and approach
Richard holds NCPS as a credential and has worked in mental health for 13 years. That background informs a steady, experienced approach rather than quick fixes. Richard uses a blend of approaches tailored to each person.
He listens closely and follows the themes that matter most to the client. Sessions may include looking at current thinking patterns, mapping how relationships affect emotions, and noting repeated life patterns that cause pain. In practice he combines person-centred listening with emotion-focused and psychodynamic ideas, and draws on cognitive behavioural tools when they help.
He also uses solution-focused techniques to help set short-term goals and measure small steps forward. This mix makes sessions practical and responsive to real life demands. People come to him for issues such as grief, trauma, parenting stress, eating and sleeping problems, anger, career strain and identity questions including LGBT topics.
Richard aims to create a non-judgemental space where clients can explore feelings and try new ways of coping. His work emphasises collaboration. He supports people to notice patterns, make choices and build routines that fit their life.
The focus is on clear, manageable steps rather than complicated theory.
Approaches and online options for emotional work
Richard often uses Attachment-Based ideas to look at how early and current relationships shape feelings and reactions; this can help with intimacy problems, abandonment issues and some relationship patterns. He also draws on Client-Centred Therapy, which means sessions start from your experience and pace rather than a fixed agenda, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and try new coping strategies for anxiety or low mood.Finding the right blend of approaches is part of the work itself. The therapist will talk with the client about their goals and preferences, try different ways of working, and agree a plan together. This collaborative process helps shape whether sessions focus more on emotions, past patterns or practical behavioural change.
Online therapy with him is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual cues matter. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging suit people who prefer written reflection, want shorter check-ins, or need flexibility around work and family commitments. These options aim to make regular sessions easier to fit into everyday life.
Questions people ask
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What formats are available for sessions?
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Parenting issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 13 years
- Licensed
- Languages
- English
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