Paula Otley, BACP, NCPS

Paula Otley brings more than 16 years of experience supporting people through loss and major life transitions. Her work began as a bereavement support volunteer, where she sat with clients during some of the most difficult moments they faced and discovered a clear vocational direction. That early experience informed her decision to train as an integrative counsellor, specialising in person-centred and psychodynamic approaches delivered from a relational perspective.

In 2020 Paula extended her clinical toolkit by training in cognitive behavioural therapy, enabling her to blend practical skills with relational depth to meet each client’s needs. She has practised in a wide range of settings including GP practices, NHS services, charities, community counselling, private practice and employee assistance programmes. Paula works with clients from diverse backgrounds and builds a therapeutic alliance that respects each person’s unique perspective and pace.

Paula is MBACP accredited as of May 2024, a sign of membership with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and also holds BACP and NCPS credentials, which reflect recognised professional qualifications in counselling. She welcomes international clients and approaches therapy as a collaborative process, working together with people to explore goals and find constructive ways forward.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions

Paula integrates approaches to meet each person’s needs. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns of relating and can help people address issues such as intimacy, abandonment and long-standing relationship difficulties by exploring connection and safety in relationships. Client-Centred Therapy puts the person’s experience at the core of the work, offering empathic listening and acceptance to support self-exploration and build self-esteem. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) provides practical tools to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns, often useful for managing anxiety, depression and stress.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey and Paula treats that choice as collaborative. She works with each client to clarify goals, consider preferences and adapt methods so therapy fits the individual’s situation and aims. Registered professionals and therapists often combine methods to match what will be most helpful for the person in front of them.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls and phone sessions allow full conversations from different locations, while live chat and text-based messaging can suit people who prefer written interaction or need shorter, more frequent support. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, manage accessibility needs and maintain continuity of care across distances.