Linda Mather (nee Spencer)

• Stress and anxiety
• Addictions and self-harm
• Parenting and grief

About Linda

Linda Mather (nee Spencer) works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems and many other life difficulties using an integrative approach. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and has 26 years of clinical experience.

She draws on several models to shape sessions, including cognitive-behavioural methods, attachment-based ideas and client-centred practice. Linda adapts the way she works to the person in front of her, so sessions can include practical strategies, reflective conversation or skills coaching depending on need.

Her background includes work with people facing depression, self-harm, anxiety, trauma and substance misuse. She has particular experience supporting those dealing with grief, parenting challenges, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and career stress. Additional focus areas include adoption and foster care, ageing issues, autism and complex life changes.

Linda has also written counselling textbooks and self-help books, and she supervises and trains other practitioners. That teaching and writing feed back into her clinical work and keep her approach current and practice-oriented.

In sessions clients can expect practical discussion, exploration of patterns such as attachment or avoidance, and techniques drawn from CBT and DBT when helpful. Linda aims to work collaboratively to set goals and review progress so therapy stays relevant to what the client wants to change.

How therapeutic approaches work in online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on identifying personal values and taking practical steps towards them while learning to live with difficult thoughts and feelings; it can help with anxiety, low mood and life transitions. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns of relating that developed in close relationships and helps people understand and change how they connect with others. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) works on current thought and behaviour patterns and offers structured techniques for managing symptoms such as panic, worry and low mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will discuss your aims and preferences and together you will decide which methods to try. Sessions can combine elements from different approaches as your needs change.

Confirm the specific session formats before booking because the biography does not list them. Many people find online sessions useful for fitting counselling into a busy week, for shorter focused check-ins, or when they prefer not to travel. The aim is to make therapy easier to attend while keeping the focus on practical skills, reviewing progress and helping you meet the goals you set with the counsellor.

Topics Linda lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Addictions
• Intimacy-related issues
• Parenting issues
• Depression
• LGBT
• Relationship issues
• Family conflicts
• Trauma and abuse
• Grief
• Eating disorders
• Anger management
• Self-esteem
• Career difficulties
• Bipolar disorder
• Coping with life changes
• Coaching
• Compassion fatigue
• Abandonment
• Adoption and foster care
• Aging and geriatric issues
• Antisocial personality
• Attachment issues
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Avoidant personality
• Blended family issues
• Cancer
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Chronic pain, illness, and disability
• Co-morbidity
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Dependent personality
• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
• Dissociation
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Emptiness
• Family of origin issues
• Family problems
• Fatherhood issues
• Fertility issues
• First responder issues
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• Hearing impaired
• Hoarding
• Hospice and end-of-life counselling
• Impulsivity
• Infidelity
• Intellectual disability
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Men's issues
• Midlife crisis
• Veteran and armed forces issues
• Money and financial issues
• Mood disorders
• Multicultural concerns
• Narcissism
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Paranoia
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Polyamory and non-monogamous relationships
• Postpartum depression
• Post-traumatic stress
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Process addictions
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-harm
• Self-love
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sexuality
• Quitting smoking or vaping
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues
• Young adult issues

Ways of working

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Jungian Therapy
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Narrative Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy
• Internal Family Systems
• Systemic Therapy

Questions about Linda

Does she work with anxiety?

Yes. She has long experience helping people with anxiety and related problems such as panic, OCD and stress.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She uses an integrative approach drawing on CBT, attachment-based ideas, client-centred work and dialectical behaviour techniques.

How long has she been practising?

She has 26 years of clinical experience as a psychotherapist, trainer and clinical supervisor.

Is she a member of a professional body in the UK?

Yes. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Can I have sessions in English if I live abroad?

Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.

What session formats are available?

Please confirm current session options before booking as the biography does not list specific formats.

How are costs handled?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I get started?

Use the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete the short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.