Linda Austin, BACP

Linda Austin is a BACP counsellor who offers straightforward, practical support for people facing personal and relationship difficulties. She draws on five years of experience to help with common struggles like anxiety, depression, addiction and coping with life changes, and she welcomes people seeking clear, honest guidance.

She has worked in criminal justice, domestic abuse services and drug and alcohol programmes. That background means she is used to talking about difficult situations and the real effects they have on day-to-day life. Her approach is direct but respectful, and she aims to work alongside each person rather than telling them what to do.

In sessions she listens first and uses that understanding to shape the work. She can offer guidance when asked, and she gives candid feedback where it helps the process. She also draws on her own lived experience when it is relevant to the conversation.

Therapy can cover a wide range of concerns, from relationship and parenting questions to trauma, grief, eating and body image worries, and long-term health or caregiving stress. She also supports work on self-esteem, career issues, intimacy, ADHD and compassion fatigue.

Her practice uses approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, client-centred work and mindfulness alongside solution-focused techniques and motivational interviewing. These methods are applied in simple, practical ways to help people notice what matters to them and take steps towards it.

How her approaches translate to online counselling

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice what matters to them and take steps towards those values. It uses practical exercises and small behavioural steps to reduce avoidance and build a life that feels meaningful.

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening, empathy and treating the person as the expert on their own life. The counsellor offers understanding and reflection to help people find their own solutions and move forward.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple awareness skills to bring attention to thoughts and feelings without getting swept up by them. It can be useful for stress, anxiety, chronic pain and managing strong emotions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options with each person and agree a way of working based on needs, goals and preferences. That collaboration helps make sure sessions feel useful and relevant from the start.

Online counselling can make fitting therapy into a busy life easier, for example by removing travel time or allowing sessions during a lunch break. If you need different rhythms of contact or shorter check-ins, that can be discussed when arranging sessions. The original profile did not list which formats are used, so please confirm the available session types before booking to ensure they suit your routine and technology.