Paula Otley, BACP, NCPS

Paula Otley is a counsellor who helps people facing grief, stress, anxiety and life changes. She works with adults who are struggling with depression, relationship worries, trauma and a wide range of practical and emotional concerns. Paula draws on many years of hands-on experience to guide conversations that feel safe and straightforward.

Paula began supporting people through bereavement more than 16 years ago as a volunteer. That work shaped her approach and led her to train as an integrative counsellor. She holds BACP and NCPS credentials and is MBACP accredited as of May 2024.

Her style combines person-centred listening with psychodynamic ideas about how relationships and past experiences affect feelings now. She also uses cognitive behavioural techniques to help people notice patterns and try small changes. Mindfulness practices are offered to help with stress and sleep when appropriate.

Paula has worked in a range of settings, including GP practice, NHS services, charities, community counselling and employee assistance programmes. This background means she is used to supporting people from different walks of life and with varied needs.

Sessions aim to be collaborative and paced to the person's goals. Paula says that whatever happens in therapy is done together, with the counsellor and client working as a team to clarify concerns and test ways forward. If you are considering counselling, review the booking steps and select the Start Therapy button to begin.

She works in English and is based in the United Kingdom. International clients are accepted, and session arrangements are set after matching and scheduling.

How Paula's approaches translate to online therapy

Paula combines person-centred work with psychodynamic reflection and cognitive behavioural techniques. Person-centred or client-centred therapy focuses on attentive listening and helping people find their own solutions; it can help with low mood, self-esteem and relationship questions. Psychodynamic approaches look at how past relationships shape current feelings and patterns, which can be useful for grief, attachment issues and recurring relationship problems. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and try practical experiments to change behaviour, often used for anxiety, depression and sleep difficulties.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Paula treats the choice of method as collaborative and will help clients figure out which approaches match their needs and goals. Sessions can shift in focus over time as practical goals or deeper exploration become relevant.

The practical advantages of online counselling can include fitting sessions into a busy day and avoiding travel. Online work also makes it easier to continue therapy if someone is away or living abroad, since international clients are accepted. Specific session formats are not listed here, so confirm the available options when booking to make sure they suit your routine. Online sessions can support regular check-ins, skill practice and reflective conversation without needing to rearrange large parts of daily life.