Ilona Smith, BACP

Ilona Smith is credentialed in the United Kingdom and holds BACP credentials - BACP stands for the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She brings a broad professional background that includes 30 years of work experience overall and 16 years working directly as a therapist. Over that time she has supported people coping with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and intimacy-related concerns.

Her practice also pays close attention to patterns and life moments that can feel especially challenging, including abandonment and attachment issues, avoidant personality traits, commitment and communication difficulties, control-related struggles, dissociation, domestic violence, feelings of emptiness, family problems, and issues of guilt, shame, forgiveness, isolation and loneliness. Ilona also works with questions about life purpose and midlife transitions. She draws on a range of clinical approaches to tailor help to each person’s situation.

Ilona treats people with respect, sensitivity and compassion, and she adapts dialogue and treatment plans to meet individual needs. She recognises that beginning therapy often takes courage and she affirms the step of reaching out to start that process.

Therapeutic Approaches for Effective Online Support

Ilona draws on Client-Centred Therapy to create a respectful, non-judgmental space where the client’s own perspective guides the work. This approach emphasises empathy and active listening and can be helpful for people coping with relationship struggles, low self-worth, loneliness and life transitions.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a structured approach that helps identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. CBT can be effective for managing symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression by building practical coping strategies and clearer thinking.

Mindfulness Therapy is another element of Ilona’s practice, offering simple attention and breathing skills to reduce reactivity and support emotional regulation. These techniques can assist with managing stress, intrusive thoughts, and overwhelming feelings.

Finding the best approach is part of the therapeutic process and Ilona works collaboratively with clients to identify which methods fit their needs, goals and preferences. Registered professionals can adapt the plan as progress is made.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging provides practical flexibility for scheduling and accessing support from different locations. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and maintain continuity of care when in-person meetings are difficult.