Paula Bantick-Ward, BACP

Paula Bantick-Ward is a BACP counsellor in the United Kingdom with eight years' experience. She supports people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, grief, depression, LGBT issues, family concerns, trauma and abuse, intimacy issues, eating and anger-related problems. Paula also works with people on self-esteem, career questions, coping with life changes and coaching.

Paula describes herself as person-centred, which means she aims to be genuine and non-judgemental in sessions. She listens and reflects what people say, and keeps sessions non-directive so clients can explore feelings at their own pace. She often helps people make sense of reactions and find ways to manage strong emotions and repeating patterns.

Her practical toolkit draws on acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioural techniques and emotionally-focused ideas. She may use creative methods too, such as metaphor, journaling or creative writing, when that feels helpful. Paula combines these approaches with a person-centred stance rather than directing clients toward one fixed method.

Paula highlights accessibility and convenience. She offers online and telephone work and uses a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time. She works under the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy ethical framework and receives clinical supervision for her work.

People often come to her for immediate life pressures as much as longer standing issues. Sessions aim to help clients understand their feelings, notice patterns and try new ways of responding. The overall focus is on practical steps to make day-to-day life more manageable.

Therapeutic approaches and online working