Paula Caffrey, BACP

Paula Caffrey is a BACP therapist based in the United Kingdom. She has around 20 years of counselling experience and draws on that background to help people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief and depression. Paula is an Armed Forces veteran who served in the Royal Navy before moving into counselling work.

She works in a warm, non-judgemental way and aims to make people feel listened to. Sessions are shaped around what each person brings, so there is no fixed formula. Paula describes her style as compassionate and authentic, adapting methods to the individual rather than following a single rigid approach.

Her practice includes client-centred work alongside cognitive behavioural ideas and psychodynamic perspectives. Paula has also integrated Internal Family Systems, which she often uses when people are coping with addiction, trauma or self-sabotaging patterns. In everyday terms she helps clients talk through painful memories, manage overwhelming feelings and develop clearer ways of coping.

Paula has worked in a variety of roles, including substance misuse services, sexual abuse support and NHS staff counselling, as well as running private practice since 2010. That range of settings informs a practical focus on recovery, grief, boundaries and rebuilding self-esteem.

She offers a calm, steady presence for people ready to make change. The first step is a short matching questionnaire and then scheduling a time that fits the client’s needs.

How Paula’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and respecting each person’s experience. The counsellor offers empathetic presence and helps clients find their own solutions, which can suit people wanting a supportive space to talk about stress, grief or relationship problems.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and uses practical techniques to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, low mood and addictive behaviours where learning new coping steps can make a difference.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Paula will discuss options and try different ways of working based on the client’s needs, goals and preferences. That decision is collaborative and may shift as progress is made.

If you are considering online sessions, please confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also help when quieter surroundings or lower-bandwidth connections are preferable. Registered or accredited professionals, including counsellors who use these approaches, often offer online appointments to help people access support more easily.