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About Lorraine
Lorraine McDonnell works with stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem and life changes using person-centred and cognitive behavioural approaches. She is a BACP counsellor with four years' practice supporting adults from varied backgrounds.
She focuses on breaking cycles of overwhelming thoughts and on small practical steps that reduce daily pressure. Sessions aim to help people understand their thinking patterns and try out different ways of responding. The work often includes looking at unhelpful habits, building coping strategies, and planning manageable changes.
Her approach draws on Client-Centred Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Lorraine also uses elements of Psychodynamic and Solution-Focused Therapy when these fit the client's needs. She prefers short, clear sessions that focus on concrete problems and next steps.
Clients come with varied concerns including depression, addiction, relationship and family issues, sleeping problems, parenting strain, anger, career stress, compassion fatigue and ADHD. She also supports people facing ageing and geriatric issues, chronic illness and caregiver stress, cancer, end-of-life and hospice matters, and body image or guilt and shame.
Sessions are conducted in English and she practises in the United Kingdom. She works with adults and frames each meeting as practical work towards clearer thinking and more manageable day-to-day coping. To begin, people complete an online questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How Lorraine’s approaches work in online counselling
Client-Centred Therapy puts the person’s experience at the heart of each session and focuses on listening and reflecting to help people make sense of their feelings. It suits issues such as low self-esteem, grief and relationship concerns.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, depression and managing stressful thinking.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Lorraine will discuss goals, preferences and what feels helpful, and then agree a plan that mixes methods to suit the person’s needs. This is a collaborative process rather than a fixed prescription.
Practical benefits of online sessions should be confirmed when booking, as formats are not specified in the biography. Ask about available session types and how they fit your routine. Online counselling can make it easier to fit sessions around work, reduce travel time, or allow a shorter check-in when needed.
Sessions take place through BetterHelp by video, phone or messaging. We will earn a commission if you sign up.
Topics Lorraine lists
Ways of working
Questions about Lorraine
- Does she work with anxiety?
- Yes. Anxiety and overthinking are central areas of practice, and sessions often use cognitive behavioural techniques to reduce unhelpful thought patterns.
- What kind of counselling does she offer?
- Her practice combines Client-Centred Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, with some Psychodynamic and Solution-Focused methods when appropriate.
- How much experience does she have?
- She has four years of experience working with adults on issues such as grief, depression and stress.
- Is she registered with a professional body?
- She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.
- Can I have sessions in languages other than English?
- Sessions are offered in English.
- Does she work with international clients?
- She does not accept international clients at this time.
- What formats are available for sessions?
- Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not specify exact formats.
- How much do sessions cost and how do subscriptions work?
- Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
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This page is based on Lorraine's public BetterHelp listing and is not written by Lorraine. It is not a recommendation. If anything here is wrong, tell us and we will correct it.