Andrew Leighton, BACP

Andrew Leighton is a counsellor who focuses on building a warm, understanding relationship first. He aims to make people feel heard and respected so they can begin to talk about what matters. Sessions are led by the client while he helps guide and unpack thoughts that feel stuck or limiting.

Andrew uses an integrated approach that draws on several ways of working. He combines Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment ideas, cognitive behavioural techniques, mindfulness and client-centred ways of working. That mix is used to match what each person needs rather than following a single method.

He has four years of experience and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. His background includes a postgraduate diploma in integrated psychotherapy and additional training in addiction therapy, substance misuse counselling, grief and loss, and compassionate enquiry work influenced by Gabor Maté.

People come to him for stress, anxiety, depression and trauma, as well as addiction and bereavement. He also supports those dealing with relationship strain, parenting pressures, body image and self-esteem concerns. Practical issues such as sleeping and eating problems, career stress and coping with major life changes are part of his work too.

In sessions he helps people notice unhelpful patterns, try small experiments and practise skills such as mindfulness. He aims to be practical and down to earth, helping people find clearer ways forward and better daily routines.

How these approaches translate to online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting pulled into them, then choose actions that match their values. It is often useful for anxiety, depression and coping with life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how past relationships shape current patterns and helps people try new ways of relating and feeling safer in close connections.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs and then recommend which methods to try. That makes the process collaborative and open to adjustment as things evolve.

Please confirm the available session formats before booking as formats are not specified here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by cutting travel time or allowing a shorter check-in when needed. It can also suit quieter conversations or work that uses mindfulness exercises and cognitive tools between meetings. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt exercises, homework and grounding techniques so they work across different ways of meeting.