Paula Caffrey

• Stress and anxiety
• Addictions and recovery
• Trauma and grief

About Paula

Paula Caffrey works on stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief and depression using a mix of client-centred, psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural approaches. She is a BACP Therapist - Registered Member MBACP (Accred) and has around 20 years' experience in counselling and related roles.

Paula offers straightforward, person-focused counselling. Sessions concentrate on what the client brings and on practical ways to understand feelings and patterns. She uses talking, reflection and focused exercises when helpful, and adapts the pace to the person's needs.

Her background includes voluntary and paid roles in substance misuse services and sexual abuse support, and work within NHS settings. She has run a private practice since 2010 and has experience with a wide range of difficulties, including loss, trauma, addictions and relationship problems.

Paula also draws on Internal Family Systems to work with parts of the self that hold painful feelings or maintain unhelpful patterns. She uses psychodynamic ideas to look at recurring themes and CBT techniques for practical coping steps.

Paula served in the Royal Navy for over five years before moving into counselling. This mix of life and professional experience informs how she responds to practical and emotional problems in sessions.

Approaches used in online sessions

Paula uses client-centred counselling to focus on the person's concerns and to encourage open, reflective conversation; this approach helps people clarify what matters to them and how they want to move forward.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying small practical experiments to change feelings and behaviour. CBT can be useful for stress, anxiety and low mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Paula will discuss different ideas and decide with the client which methods to try based on their goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process and options can be adjusted as therapy continues.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the current session formats before booking as these are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-in appointments when that suits. Some formats use audio only which can need less bandwidth and feels less demanding than video, while other formats allow screen sharing for worksheets and exercises. Please check the available session options and choose what fits your everyday routine.

Topics Paula lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Addictions
• Trauma and abuse
• Grief
• Depression
• Abandonment
• Attachment issues
• Avoidant personality
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Dissociation
• Divorce and separation
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Emptiness
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• Infidelity
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Midlife crisis
• Veteran and armed forces issues
• Mood disorders
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-love
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues

Ways of working

• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Internal Family Systems

Questions about Paula

Does she work with anxiety and depression?

Yes. She supports people with anxiety, depression and related stress reactions using a combination of approaches.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She combines client-centred counselling with psychodynamic ideas and cognitive behavioural techniques, and also uses Internal Family Systems where helpful.

How long has she been practising?

She has around 20 years' experience in counselling and related roles, including voluntary and NHS work and private practice since 2010.

Where is she based and what are her credentials?

She practises in the United Kingdom and is a BACP Therapist - Registered Member MBACP (Accred).

Does she offer sessions in other languages?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the UK book sessions?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How much do sessions cost?

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

How do I start counselling with her?

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