Martha Burling, BACP

Martha Burling is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who helps people manage stress, anxiety, addiction challenges, grief and low mood. She also supports work on self-esteem, motivation and confidence. Martha encourages people to take the first step and acknowledges how hard that can feel.

She aims to create an open and non-judgemental space where thoughts and feelings can be spoken about honestly. Sessions focus on understanding what is getting in the way of daily functioning and finding practical ways to manage those obstacles. Martha uses a calm, empathetic style and listens carefully to each person’s concerns.

Her background includes six years of professional practice and membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. That experience has included supporting people through loss, depression and relationship difficulties linked to attachment and intimacy.

Martha draws on several therapeutic approaches to match a person’s needs. These include acceptance and commitment ideas, cognitive behaviour strategies and work that looks at attachment patterns. She also uses client-centred techniques to prioritise the person’s perspective.

In sessions she and the client explore manageable steps for coping with everyday problems. This may involve learning new ways to respond to strong emotions, altering unhelpful thinking patterns or practising small behavioural changes. The emphasis is on practical progress and on building strategies that fit each person’s life.

How these approaches can work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice their thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It often suits those feeling stuck by worry, low mood or life transitions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, CBT, looks at unhelpful thinking patterns and tests new behaviour in small steps. It is commonly used for anxiety, depression and sleep or eating difficulties. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationship patterns affect current connections and emotional responses, which can be useful when intimacy or abandonment issues are a focus.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The counsellor will talk with each person about goals, preferences and what feels most helpful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the available session formats before booking since the biography does not list them. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments around other commitments and can reduce travel time. It can also allow a shorter check-in or phone-style conversation when that suits, or a video session when visual contact helps the work. Discuss practical needs and timing with the counsellor when you book so sessions fit into everyday life.