Paula Otley

• Person-Centred approach
• Psychodynamic work
• CBT techniques

About Paula

Paula Otley helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief and relationship difficulties by working in a relational, person-centred way and combining psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural ideas. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has 16 years' experience supporting people, including long-term bereavement work.

Paula began supporting bereaved people as a volunteer and built sixteen years of experience listening through very difficult times. That work prompted her to train as an integrative counsellor, bringing together person-centred and psychodynamic perspectives. She later added cognitive behavioural skills in 2020 to offer more practical techniques alongside relational work.

She meets people as they are and focuses on developing a reliable therapeutic relationship to guide the sessions. In practice this means asking about what matters to the person, noticing patterns in feelings and relationships, and trying small, manageable changes where helpful. Sessions can include exploring past experiences, current thoughts and behaviours, and brief practical strategies.

Paula has worked in a range of settings, including GP practice, National Health Service roles, charities, community counselling services, private practice and employee assistance programmes. This variety has given her experience with many different life stresses and organisational contexts.

The therapist works with a wide set of concerns, such as depression, self-esteem, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating and sleeping problems, parenting strain, career issues, bipolar mood challenges, ADHD and compassion fatigue. She also offers support around attachment, adoption and foster care, ageing issues, chronic illness, codependency and communication problems.

How Paula uses therapeutic approaches in online sessions

Attachment-based work looks at relationship patterns and past bonds to understand current difficulties, particularly around intimacy, abandonment and attachment issues. It helps people who notice repeating relationship problems or strong reactions to closeness and separation.

Client-centred work puts the person's experience at the centre of the session. The counsellor listens without judgement, reflects what is said and helps the person find their own way of making changes or decisions. This approach is helpful for stress, low self-esteem and grief.

CBT techniques are used alongside relational work to offer practical strategies for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. These can be useful for anxiety, sleeping and eating problems, and coping with life changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The counsellor will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most useful, and then agree a way forward that mixes listening, exploration and practical skills where needed.

Please confirm available session formats before you book, as the biography does not list them. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around work and family life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Many people find combining relational exploration with brief CBT tasks fits well into everyday routines.

Topics Paula lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Grief
• Self-esteem
• Depression
• Addictions
• LGBT
• Family conflicts
• Trauma and abuse
• Intimacy-related issues
• Eating disorders
• Sleeping disorders
• Parenting issues
• Anger management
• Career difficulties
• Bipolar disorder
• Coping with life changes
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Abandonment
• Adoption and foster care
• Aging and geriatric issues
• Attachment issues
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Blended family issues
• Body image
• Cancer
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Chronic pain, illness, and disability
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Dependent personality
• Dissociation
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Eating and food-related issues
• Emptiness
• Family of origin issues
• Family problems
• Fatherhood issues
• Fertility issues
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• Hospice and end-of-life counselling
• Impulsivity
• Infidelity
• Intellectual disability
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Men's issues
• Midlife crisis
• Money and financial issues
• Mood disorders
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic stress
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Process addictions
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-harm
• Self-love
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sexuality
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Trichotillomania
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues

Ways of working

• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy

Questions about Paula

Does she work with anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety is listed among the concerns she supports, alongside stress and related problems.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She offers an integrative approach using person-centred methods and psychodynamic work, with cognitive behavioural techniques added in 2020.

How long has she been practising?

She has 16 years' experience, including long-term bereavement support and roles in multiple settings.

Is she registered with any professional bodies in the UK?

Yes. She is listed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and with NCPS.

Can I have sessions in English if I live abroad?

Sessions are offered in English and she does accept international clients.

What session formats are available?

The biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.

How much do sessions cost?

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

How do I begin working with her?

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