Nicola Vernon, BACP

Nicola Vernon is a person-centered counsellor with 20 years of experience supporting adults, children, young people and families across a wide range of emotional and practical challenges. She has worked extensively with depression, general and social anxiety, relationship difficulties, addictions and childhood trauma, and has particular experience supporting bereavement and loss in children and family settings.

Nicola creates a calm, non-judgemental space where clients can explore their feelings and begin to understand how past and present experiences affect emotional responses. She works collaboratively at each client’s own pace so people feel heard and able to make changes when they are ready.

Her practice is informed by additional training in cognitive behavioural therapy, solution-focused approaches, counselling supervision, family bereavement and life story work, inner child work and trauma-informed practice. Nicola is a member of the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - which is a professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists in the United Kingdom.

She currently offers sessions in the evenings and at weekends to accommodate different schedules.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Support

Nicola draws primarily on client-centered practice and cognitive behavioural therapy alongside solution-focused techniques to tailor online support to each person’s needs. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathetic listening and acceptance, giving individuals and families space to explore feelings and build self-understanding - this approach is often helpful for grief, relationship concerns and self-esteem work.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and helps people develop practical strategies for managing anxiety, depression and unhelpful coping patterns. Solution-focused therapy is brief and goal-oriented, useful when clients want to identify small, achievable steps to move forward and build resilience.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Nicola works collaboratively with each client to determine which methods fit their goals, preferences and circumstances, and can adapt techniques as progress is made.

Online work through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging offers flexibility for people with busy schedules, caregiving responsibilities or mobility limits. These formats allow registered professionals and therapists to provide consistent, accessible support in ways that suit individual lifestyles and availability.