Mary Lavelle, BACP

Mary Lavelle is a BACP counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with seven years of experience. She trained in psychology and integrative counselling and has a postgraduate diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy. She works with a range of common concerns including stress, anxiety, anger, trauma and relationship issues.

Mary approaches sessions in a straightforward way. She listens to what people say is getting in the way and helps them try practical steps to manage those problems. Conversations focus on what is happening now and what can be changed to reduce recurring tension and overwhelm.

She draws on integrative counselling alongside techniques from cognitive behavioural approaches. That mix helps with managing strong emotions, dealing with unhelpful thinking patterns, improving sleep, and handling work or parenting stress. The methods are offered in plain language and short exercises are often used between sessions.

Mary also supports people with intimacy-related concerns and issues linked to identity such as LGBT topics. She offers help around self-esteem, career strain, compassion fatigue and the practical adjustments that follow life changes. Sessions include talking things through and building small, doable skills to try out between meetings.

Her background includes study and work in psychology and mental health over two decades, though her counselling experience spans seven years. To start, people are invited to say what they want to change and to set straightforward, realistic goals for the early sessions.

Approaches used and how online sessions fit