Vanessa Richards, BACP

Vanessa Richards is a counsellor registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) with five years of professional experience. She works with young adults and others on stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, depression, addictions and life transitions. Vanessa also supports people facing grief, parenting pressures, career uncertainty and ADHD-related challenges.

She trained to a masters level in integrative counselling and psychotherapy, and uses a relational, client-focused style. Sessions are conversational and collaborative. Vanessa aims to build a working relationship where people can talk through distress and practical problems without feeling judged.

Her clinical background includes several years in both the NHS and private practice, working on depression, motivation and confidence. She also has experience supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and understands the long-term impact trauma can have on daily life and relationships.

Before counselling work she spent over seven years as a therapeutic radiographer, giving her direct experience of the cancer care pathway and the stresses it creates for patients and their networks. That experience informs how she supports people affected by illness and caregiving responsibilities.

Vanessa draws on a mix of approaches such as client-centred work, cognitive behavioural techniques, dialectical behaviour skills, emotionally-focused ideas and motivational interviewing. She works collaboratively to help people set goals, try different strategies and build coping skills for everyday life.

How Vanessa uses therapeutic approaches online