Joanna Cottrell, BACP

Joanna Cottrell is a UK-based counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, low confidence, depression and career or relationship worries. She uses straightforward conversation to make it easier to talk about difficult feelings. Joanna aims to offer calm support as people consider changes and next steps in their lives.

Joanna works from a person-centred stance, so sessions focus on what matters to each individual. She also draws on cognitive behavioural techniques and solution-focused ideas to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try practical steps between meetings. Motivational interviewing is used when someone wants support to find inner reasons to change.

Her approach tends to be collaborative and paced to the person. Joanna encourages clear, simple goals and checks in on progress. She aims to create a non-judgemental space where thoughts and feelings can be named and explored without pressure.

With eight years of experience, Joanna has helped people with a wide range of issues including ADHD, addictions, grief, trauma and intimacy-related concerns. She also supports those coping with parenting stress, chronic health challenges and identity questions related to LGBT matters.

Sessions are conducted in English and take place in the United Kingdom. Joanna is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP. If someone is unsure whether she is the right fit, she suggests starting with a brief matching process to see how her style aligns with their needs.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Joanna often uses Client-Centred Therapy, which focuses on listening and helping a person lead the conversation. This approach is helpful when someone needs time to make sense of feelings and priorities. She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which looks at thought and behaviour patterns and introduces practical strategies to reduce anxiety or low mood.

The right approach usually becomes clear through conversation. Joanna treats finding a good fit as a team effort and will check goals and preferences as therapy progresses. She will explain different ways of working and adapt methods to what a person finds most helpful.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the exact session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, for example by saving travel time or allowing shorter check-ins during a break. It can also help when someone prefers not to be on camera or needs a lower-bandwidth option. Registered or accredited professionals and therapists commonly offer flexible ways of meeting to make sessions realistic for everyday life.