Vanessa Richards

Vanessa Richards is a BACP-registered counsellor who helps people facing grief, stress, anxiety and relationship difficulties. She also supports those dealing with trauma and abuse, carers under strain, and people coping with life-changing illnesses. Her first aim is to create a calm space where someone can speak and be heard without judgement.

With five years' practice in counselling, Vanessa draws on prior work supporting survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and years as a therapeutic radiographer working with people affected by cancer. That background gives her experience of conversations around illness, loss and the practical pressures that follow a diagnosis.

Vanessa uses a relational way of working, putting the helping relationship at the centre of the work. She adapts what happens in sessions to each person's needs, using simple, evidence-informed techniques alongside open listening and guided conversation.

Her methods include client-centred listening, cognitive behavioural tools to address thinking patterns, and skills drawn from dialectical behaviour therapy to manage strong feelings. Motivational interviewing helps when someone struggles with change or addictive behaviour, while emotionally focused and narrative approaches help with attachment and self-worth concerns.

People who come to Vanessa can expect clear, practical steps alongside time to talk through difficult memories and current pressures. She supports discussions about parenting, career stresses, body image, codependency, ADHD and other concerns, working at a pace the person feels able to manage.

Therapeutic approaches and online working

Vanessa uses client-centred work to prioritise what matters most to the person. This approach focuses on listening, understanding and helping someone name their feelings before deciding what to do next. Cognitive behavioural therapy offers simple, practical steps to challenge unhelpful thoughts and develop new habits for managing anxiety, low mood and stress.

She also draws on dialectical behaviour therapy skills to help with intense emotions and better coping strategies. These tools teach grounding, emotion regulation and clearer ways to respond when feelings run high. Together these approaches aim to combine supportive listening with repeatable skills that people can use between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work and will be decided together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what feels feasible, and then try methods that fit the person's needs. That collaborative process is revisited as progress is made.

The original profile does not list specific session formats, so please confirm which formats are offered before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around daily life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Registered or accredited professionals can use a mix of talking, practical exercises and homework that suit remote or in-person arrangements, depending on the agreed format.