Valerie Stanley-Brooks

• Stress and anxiety
• Trauma and abuse
• CBT and client-centred

About Valerie

Valerie Stanley-Brooks helps people work on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties using a client-centred approach. She is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has 25 years of experience in counselling and psychotherapy.

Valerie draws on different ways of working depending on what a person needs. She uses client-centred listening to prioritise the person's concerns, cognitive behavioural techniques to address unhelpful thoughts and patterns, and trauma-focused methods when past harm needs careful attention. Sessions focus on clear, practical steps as well as exploring underlying feelings.

Her background includes work in educational, therapeutic and voluntary settings. That experience shapes how she supports people from varied backgrounds and life situations. She combines talking therapies with resources and exercises to build coping skills between sessions.

Valerie supports people with a wide range of difficulties, including addictions, parenting strain, sleep and eating problems, anger, career changes and compassion fatigue. She also works with issues linked to adoption and foster care, blended family dynamics, body image and fatherhood concerns.

People choosing Valerie can expect collaborative sessions that aim to clarify goals and make steady progress. Practical strategies are balanced with space to reflect on deeper patterns. To begin, clients use the website matching process and then arrange a first appointment.

How Valerie uses therapeutic approaches in online work

Client-centred therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person. It helps people clarify their concerns and set the pace for change. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts, feelings and behaviours and uses practical exercises to reduce anxiety, tackle low mood, or change unhelpful patterns. Trauma-focused therapy attends to the impact of past harm and uses careful techniques to help people process distress and rebuild day-to-day coping.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Valerie will discuss which methods suit the person's goals and preferences, and agree a plan together. That collaboration means techniques can be combined or adjusted as progress is made and new issues arise.

The exact session formats available should be confirmed before booking. When arranging online work, consider practical benefits such as fitting sessions into a busy day, reducing travel time, and allowing shorter check-ins when needed. Registered or accredited professionals often use online work to make therapy more convenient while still focusing on clear goals and manageable steps.

Topics Valerie lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Trauma and abuse
• Grief
• Self-esteem
• Depression
• Addictions
• Relationship issues
• Family conflicts
• Intimacy-related issues
• Eating disorders
• Sleeping disorders
• Parenting issues
• Anger management
• Career difficulties
• Coping with life changes
• Coaching
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Abandonment
• Adoption and foster care
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Blended family issues
• Body image
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Emptiness
• Family of origin issues
• Family problems
• Fatherhood issues
• Fertility issues
• First responder issues
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• Immigration issues
• Infidelity
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Midlife crisis
• Veteran and armed forces issues
• Multicultural concerns
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Postpartum depression
• Post-traumatic stress
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-harm
• Self-love
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues
• Young adult issues

Ways of working

• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Questions about Valerie

Does she work with anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety and stress are listed areas of focus and are commonly addressed in her sessions.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She practises client-centred therapy and also uses cognitive behavioural and trauma-focused approaches alongside psychodynamic and solution-focused methods.

How much experience does she have?

She has 25 years of professional experience in educational, therapeutic and voluntary settings.

Is she registered with a professional body in the UK?

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

Which languages can I use in sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can I work with her from outside the UK?

International clients are accepted, so people outside the United Kingdom can be matched for sessions.

How much do sessions cost?

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

How do I get started?

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