Melissa Foster, BACP

Melissa Foster is a BACP member and a counsellor with five years of practice. She offers a calm, straightforward space for people feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed by change, or struggling with relationships and parenting. Melissa aims to make the first steps into therapy feel manageable and clear.

She uses a person-centred way of working, so sessions focus on the client’s concerns and pace. Melissa helps people talk through difficult feelings, spot unhelpful patterns, and practise simple coping strategies that fit daily life. Conversations are practical and down-to-earth, not full of jargon.

Her training includes Level 5 Psychotherapeutic Counselling, which allows her to work at a deeper level when needed. She also draws on cognitive-behavioural techniques and psychodynamic ideas to understand patterns that repeat over time. Solution-focused ideas are used when short-term goals and clear steps are helpful.

Typical issues she supports include stress, anxiety, self-esteem, grief, career worries, and life transitions. Melissa also focuses on relationship and family concerns such as communication problems, separation, blended family issues, and commitment worries. There is attention to specific themes like attachment, abandonment, jealousy and fertility or fatherhood issues.

Sessions are conducted in English and take place in the United Kingdom. Melissa works collaboratively with each person to plan what to try next and reviews progress as therapy continues.

How Melissa’s approaches work in online therapy

Melissa uses client-centred work which focuses on the person’s experience and priorities. This approach helps people feel heard and shapes sessions around what matters most to them. Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and try practical steps to change patterns; it can suit anxiety, stress and mood-related difficulties.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Melissa will discuss options and try things together, adjusting methods as needs and goals become clearer. She aims to match techniques to each person rather than using a one-size-fits-all plan.

If you are considering online therapy, check the current session options before booking. Confirm whether video, phone or messaging is available for your situation. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when that better suits a work break or tight schedule. Registered or accredited professionals and therapists often use a mix of practical tools, reflection and goal-setting that translate well to remote meetings.