Kay Holdsworth, BACP

Kay Holdsworth helps people who feel stuck, overwhelmed or unsure where to begin. She works with clients who want clearer priorities, steadier mood and practical steps to change. Kay is named early so readers know who they are meeting. Kay uses straightforward tools and tasks in sessions. She sets simple exercises between meetings so clients can practise new ways of coping. Journalling, breathing exercises and guided relaxations are commonly offered when helpful. Her work draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and mindfulness. She also uses client-centred methods and can include hypnotherapy techniques or guided visualisations depending on what a person prefers. Kay qualified with a Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling and Psychotherapy in 2017. She later completed solution-focused training in 2021 and a creative counselling qualification in 2023. Her background includes many years running wellbeing courses and groups in the community. She currently works as a student counsellor at a Leeds university, having previously been a wellbeing practitioner there. That experience involved supporting people with anxiety, low mood and motivation and running courses in mindfulness and relaxation. When working together Kay encourages honesty about what helps and what does not. She often uses creative tasks and practical experiments so change happens between sessions as well as during them.

How approaches like ACT and CBT work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and then choose actions that match their values. This can be helpful for anxiety, stress and life changes by building small committed steps towards what matters.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for low mood, anxiety and sleep or eating difficulties.

Mindfulness-based techniques teach simple attention and breathing practices to reduce rumination and increase calm. These can be used alongside ACT or CBT to support daily coping.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kay will talk with each person to decide which methods suit their situation, goals and preferences. That decision is made together and can be reviewed as things change.

If you are considering online sessions, please confirm current session formats before booking since the biography does not list them. Many people find remote work useful because it fits around work or family routines, allows a shorter check-in when needed and makes it easier to keep regular appointments. Registered or accredited professionals use practical tools and homework tasks just as they would in person, so progress can continue even when meetings happen remotely.