Stanley Okafor, BACP

Stanley Okafor is a BACP-registered psychotherapist and counsellor with more than 15 years of experience helping people manage emotional and psychological challenges. He combines work in private practice with roles in forensic services and the NHS, where he serves as a senior/lead therapist for a large NHS Trust. He is an accredited member of APT, a qualified integrative counsellor, and an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (CBT) - CBT focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and supports practical change.

Stanley has supported people from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of difficulties, from severe and complex presentations to more straightforward concerns. His experience includes work with stress, anxiety, depression, childhood trauma and abuse, domestic violence, addictions, bereavement, self-harm and suicidal ideation, anger, relationship and family issues, self-esteem, eating and sleeping problems, parenting and career challenges, and neurodiversity-related matters such as ADHD and autism spectrum issues.

His primary practice is evidence-based psychotherapy, using CBT as a foundation while integrating effective elements from other approaches when appropriate. He tailors interventions to each person to promote efficient, lasting progress. Initial consultations include a clinical assessment and a risk evaluation to clarify goals and shape treatment. Known for a warm, genuine and empathic manner, Stanley emphasizes rapport and respectful collaboration to create a space where people can explore difficulties at their own pace.

He recognises that therapy is a process rather than a quick fix and works with clients who are ready to engage in that journey. He often reminds clients that "Nothing is impossible for those who believe" as an encouragement to begin change.

Approaches for online therapy and practical support

Stanley commonly works with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered approaches, and he may draw on Emotionally-Focused Therapy when relationships or attachment issues are central. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people identify and adjust unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns to reduce symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person’s own experience, offering a non-judgemental, empathic stance that helps people explore feelings and discover their own solutions. Emotionally-Focused Therapy looks at emotional responses and patterns in relationships, helping people express and reshape important emotional bonds.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Stanley works collaboratively with each person to match methods to their needs, goals and preferences, adapting the plan as therapy progresses so the approach fits the individual rather than expecting the person to fit the method.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - appointments can take place by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and communication styles. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, work around busy lives, and access support from the United Kingdom or abroad while continuing evidence-informed therapeutic work with a registered professional.