Debra Laking

Debra Laking is a counsellor who uses humanistic, integrative approaches to tailor sessions to each person. She works in the United Kingdom and draws on practical therapies to help people through stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, low self-esteem and life changes. Debra holds BACP registration and offers an empathetic, non-judgemental space for conversations about difficult topics.

In sessions she aims to help people name what matters to them and take small, workable steps toward change. She often combines Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with client-centred listening and elements of cognitive behavioural work. Mindfulness practices and communication-focused techniques also appear when useful to the person’s goals.

Her background includes work with concerns linked to ageing and geriatric issues, caregiving stress, cancer, and hospice and end-of-life counselling. She also supports people dealing with attachment questions, autism and Asperger syndrome, isolation or loneliness, and the emotional impact of divorce and separation.

Debra takes a down-to-earth approach in the room. Conversations tend to focus on practical coping strategies, clearer communication, and ways to reduce unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. She helps people clarify values, explore options, and try out new ways of responding to life’s pressures.

If someone is unsure where to begin, she usually starts with what feels most pressing and builds a plan from there. The emphasis is on collaboration, paced change, and practical tools that fit into everyday life.

How Debra's approaches translate to online counselling

Debra often works from an integrative humanistic stance, using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify their values and take small committed steps in daily life. ACT can be useful for anxiety, stress and adjusting to big life changes.

She also uses client-centred therapy, which focuses on listening, empathy and helping people feel heard so they can organise their thoughts. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is brought in to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and try practical experiments to reduce distress.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist and client will discuss what feels most useful, try different techniques, and adjust the plan based on how things go. The aim is to find methods that fit the client’s goals and day-to-day routine.

If you are considering online work, please confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people use mindfulness or breathing exercises at home between meetings. Registered and accredited professionals often adapt exercises so they work well in remote sessions and to suit each person’s circumstances.