- Bereavement support
- Integrative counsellor
- Collaborative approach
About Paula
Paula Otley meets people where they are and helps them face hard moments with steady, compassionate support. She draws on 16 years of experience supporting people through loss and life changes. Paula aims to build a calm, honest connection so people can talk about what matters most to them.
Paula first started offering bereavement support as a volunteer, and that work shaped her focus on end-of-life and hospice-related concerns. She trained as an integrative counsellor with a person-centred emphasis and uses psychodynamic ideas to understand patterns that repeat in relationships. In 2020 she added cognitive behavioural therapy, which she blends with her other approaches when it suits the person in front of her.
Her background includes work in GP practices, the NHS, charities, community counselling, private practice and employee assistance programmes. That variety means she is used to different kinds of appointments and to people arriving with very different stories. Paula pays attention to practical problems, emotions and the ways people relate to others.
Sessions are collaborative. Paula will listen, ask questions and help set goals together. She uses simple tools from CBT and mindfulness as needed, and she helps people untangle repeated relationship patterns through attachment and psychodynamic ideas.
The overall aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes. Paula supports people coping with grief, stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, life changes and related concerns, helping them find clearer choices and more manageable days.
Paula first started offering bereavement support as a volunteer, and that work shaped her focus on end-of-life and hospice-related concerns. She trained as an integrative counsellor with a person-centred emphasis and uses psychodynamic ideas to understand patterns that repeat in relationships. In 2020 she added cognitive behavioural therapy, which she blends with her other approaches when it suits the person in front of her.
Her background includes work in GP practices, the NHS, charities, community counselling, private practice and employee assistance programmes. That variety means she is used to different kinds of appointments and to people arriving with very different stories. Paula pays attention to practical problems, emotions and the ways people relate to others.
Sessions are collaborative. Paula will listen, ask questions and help set goals together. She uses simple tools from CBT and mindfulness as needed, and she helps people untangle repeated relationship patterns through attachment and psychodynamic ideas.
The overall aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes. Paula supports people coping with grief, stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, life changes and related concerns, helping them find clearer choices and more manageable days.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPhobiasPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused Therapy
Experience
16+ years
Credentials
BACP · United Kingdom, NCPS · United Kingdom
Languages
English
How Paula’s approaches shape online work
Paula combines a person-centred way of meeting people with attachment ideas about relationships and practical elements from cognitive behavioural therapy. Person-centred counselling focuses on listening without judgement and helping the person lead the conversation; it suits people who want a space to reflect and make their own choices.Attachment-based ideas help identify patterns in how people relate to others and to loss, which can be useful when grief or long-standing relationship difficulties are present. Cognitive behavioural therapy offers simple, practical strategies to change unhelpful thinking and behaviour, which can help with anxiety, low mood and sleep problems.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Paula will talk with the person about their goals, preferences and what has or hasn't helped before. Together they decide which approaches to use and adjust the plan as needed, keeping the process collaborative.
The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so please confirm the current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy day, reduce travel and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt conversation, CBT exercises and mindfulness practices to suit remote sessions, helping people carry therapeutic tools into everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Paula help with?
She supports people with grief, stress, anxiety, depression and relationship issues, among other concerns such as addiction, sleep and eating problems and caregiver strain.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Paula works collaboratively and listens closely to each person's story. She combines person-centred listening with practical tools when helpful.
How long has she been practising?
She has 16 years of experience, beginning with long-term bereavement support volunteering and continuing into various counselling roles.
What credentials and region are listed?
Paula is MBACP accredited and holds NCPS, and she practises in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current options before booking.
How are costs handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Paula?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to therapist availability.