Andrea Croston, BACP

Andrea Croston helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma and abuse, low self‑esteem and depression. She also supports those facing relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, eating and sleeping difficulties, parenting strains, anger, career changes, bipolar disorder, ADHD and compassion fatigue. Andrea works with a wide range of life challenges and wants people to feel heard and understood from the first session.

Andrea trained in counselling and psychotherapy and holds a BACP credential, which reflects her professional registration. She describes herself primarily as a person‑centred counsellor and builds gentle, practical care from that foundation. Her style is grounded and straightforward. She listens first, then helps people find practical ways to manage day‑to‑day stress and emotional pain.

Andrea has been involved in supporting others for over 20 years through volunteering with charities and community services. In September 2022 she completed a Level 4 qualification in counselling and psychotherapy and has four years of formal experience as a practising therapist. Much of her learning has come from listening to people and responding to what they say helps them heal.

Her approach combines client‑centred listening with therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy when these fit a person's needs. She focuses on small, achievable steps and on practical coping strategies that can be used between sessions.

Andrea sees the person as the expert in their own life. She aims to support people as they make changes, offering steady guidance rather than quick fixes. To begin, people are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to availability.

How her approaches translate to online work

Andrea combines person‑centred listening with structured methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify their values and take small steps towards what matters, often useful for anxiety, depression and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact and teaches practical techniques to change unhelpful patterns, which can help with stress, low mood and sleep problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Andrea treats this as a collaborative exploration where she and the client decide together which methods suit the person's goals and day‑to‑day life. She adapts exercises and homework to fit each person's pace and preferences rather than using one set way for everyone.

If you are considering online therapy, check which session options are currently offered before booking as the biography does not list formats. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around work, childcare or travel, reduce time spent getting to appointments and allow for shorter check‑ins when needed. Many people find it easier to use practical CBT tools and ACT exercises between sessions when meeting remotely, and Andrea will help tailor the process so it fits into everyday routines.