Richard Whitenstall, BACP

Richard Whitenstall is a counsellor with wide-ranging experience working across charity, project and private practice settings. He founded Get There Counselling in 2021 and also works with clients internationally through online services. His professional journey includes early placements at Hampshire charities No Limits and Cruse, and the development and management of a counselling service for Positive21 in London from 2017 to 2019.

Richard has combined direct counselling with community-focused project work, supporting LGBT young people at risk of sexual exploitation, domestic abuse and neglect. He co-authored Strength to Talk, a book focused on men’s mental health with proceeds donated to the mental health charity Mind, and he has presented to mental health professionals to increase understanding of risks facing LGBT youth.

Areas of practice include anxiety, depression, stress, relationship and intimacy issues, self-esteem, coping with life changes, grief, trauma and abuse, addictions, ADHD and a wide range of family and sexual-health related concerns. He also offers work around attachment, polyamory and non-monogamous relationships, BDSM and kink, chronic pain and illness, and process addictions.

Outside clinical work Richard produces and co-hosts the podcast It’s Not You, It’s Them, which explores mental health and personal growth. His approach is client-centred and empowering - he supports people to move at their own pace, focus on achievable change, accept what cannot be changed and create practical plans for what can be different. He holds BACP, which is membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Therapeutic approaches for online support with Richard Whitenstall

Richard commonly uses client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and solution-focused therapy in his online work. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening with empathy and helping people explore their own values and goals; it is useful for building self-esteem, improving relationships and processing life changes. CBT is a practical approach that looks at links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers tools for managing anxiety, depression and stress. Solution-focused therapy concentrates on strengths, small steps and future goals to create clear, achievable changes when overwhelming problems feel stalled.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Richard works collaboratively with people to identify which method or combination of methods is the best fit for their needs, goals and preferences, and adapts the work as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage - video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit sessions around work, family and other commitments. For people living abroad or with mobility or location constraints, this range of options increases accessibility and helps maintain continuity of care while using approaches that are familiar to registered professionals and therapists.