Phillipa Whitehead, BACP

Phillipa Whitehead is a counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and low self-esteem. She also supports those dealing with addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, parenting strain and work-related concerns. Phillipa works with people who feel stuck, are coping with life changes, or want a clearer way forward.

She has 11 years of professional experience and is a BACP Therapist - Registered Member MBACP. Phillipa uses a person-centred style that puts the client’s pace and choices first. Sessions focus on what matters to the individual and on practical ways to move forward.

Her approach combines Client-Centred Therapy with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Solution-Focused techniques. That mix lets her follow what the person brings and try different ways to address thinking patterns, everyday habits and unhelpful routines. Phillipa can also work with trauma-related issues using trauma-focused methods when needed.

In conversation she aims to create a non-judgemental space where thoughts and feelings can be voiced and examined. Practical tools and simple steps are offered alongside listening, depending on what the person needs at the time.

People come to Phillipa after a crisis, when old patterns resurface, or when prior help didn’t feel helpful enough. She encourages gradual change and supports clients as they test new ways of coping and relating to themselves and others.

How Phillipa's approaches work online and in therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person's own goals and pace, with the counsellor offering empathy and reflection to help people find their own solutions. This approach is useful for building confidence and for talking through difficult feelings.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, behaviours and feelings link together and offers practical techniques to change unhelpful patterns. CBT is often used for anxiety, low mood, sleep issues and everyday habits that get in the way.

Motivational Interviewing helps people who feel ambivalent about change by exploring their own reasons for wanting things to be different. It can be helpful for addictions, procrastination and readiness to take small steps forward.

Finding the right approach is a joint process. Phillipa will work with the person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences, and may combine elements from different approaches as needed. This means the therapy can change over time to match progress and setbacks.

If you are considering online work, please confirm the specific session formats available before booking as they are not listed in the biography. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They can also allow a focus on practical homework and thought-behaviour work between meetings, which ties in well with skills from CBT and solution-focused methods.