Paula Appleton, BACP, NCPS

Paula Appleton is a counsellor with 14 years of experience working in the United Kingdom. She holds BACP and NCPS credentials and uses an integrative approach to shape sessions around each person’s needs. Paula is comfortable supporting people through a wide range of concerns and works with Deaf and hard of hearing clients using Signed Supported English and British Sign Language at NVQ Level 6.

Paula keeps sessions straightforward and practical. She helps people talk through anxiety, depression, addiction, bereavement and trauma. She also addresses issues such as eating and sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem and relationship difficulties. Her style aims to make things clearer and more manageable day to day.

Her work draws on several therapeutic methods. Paula uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice what matters most to them. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is used to identify unhelpful thinking and try new behaviours. Attachment-based ideas inform how past relationships can affect present reactions.

Paula also uses Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills and a client-centred stance to build steadier coping and stronger self-awareness. She describes therapy as a collaborative process where the person’s goals guide the work. Sessions are adapted to the individual rather than following one set routine.

She supports people facing complex or overlapping difficulties, such as chronic illness, caregiving strain, neurodiversity and bereavement. If you need to discuss communication needs in British Sign Language or American Sign Language, Paula can work with those preferences. To confirm current session formats, readers should check details before booking.

How therapy approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps towards those values. Online sessions can use ACT to practise noticing unhelpful thoughts and choosing actions that match personal goals, useful for anxiety, depression and life transitions.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on spotting patterns in thoughts and behaviours and trying practical experiments to change them. In remote appointments CBT exercises can be reviewed together and homework tasks agreed to test new ways of thinking and acting.

Paula approaches therapy as a collaborative process. She will work with clients to find which method or mix of methods feels right. Together they set goals, review progress and adjust the approach based on needs, preferences and what works in practice.

Confirm the exact online session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific options. Many people find online sessions make it easier to fit counselling into a busy day, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Others use remote sessions to keep a steady routine while managing long-term conditions, caregiving duties or work commitments. Ask about language needs such as British Sign Language or American Sign Language when arranging appointments.