Paula Caffrey, BACP

Paula Caffrey is a counsellor with over 20 years of experience based in the United Kingdom. She is a BACP Therapist - Registered Member MBACP (Accred). Paula offers a calm, non-judgemental space for people dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief and depression. Her manner is warm and compassionate, and she adapts to each person rather than applying a single formula.

Paula blends several ways of working to match the needs of the person in front of her. She uses person-centred principles to make people feel heard and respected. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques are used when practical changes and clearer thinking are helpful. Psychodynamic ideas help look at patterns that began earlier in life. She has also integrated Internal Family Systems into her practice to work with internal parts and self-led healing.

Her background includes volunteer and paid counselling roles across substance misuse and sexual abuse services, work with a national addiction charity, and staff counselling in an NHS trust. Paula has also run a independent practice since 2010 and brings that breadth of experience to each session.

She describes herself as open-minded and authenticity-focused, tailoring sessions to whatever someone needs. People can expect a focus on compassion, exploration of relationship and attachment themes, and options to address addictions, guilt, shame and related concerns. Paula aims to support and empower people taking steps towards change.

How Paula's approaches can guide online therapy

Paula draws on person-centred work and Internal Family Systems to guide how she meets people. Person-centred work focuses on listening closely and responding to what each person says, helping them feel understood and able to make their own choices. Internal Family Systems works with the different parts inside a person, helping to reduce conflict between those parts and support more self-led decisions.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy when helpful. CBT looks at thinking patterns and behaviours and offers practical ways to try different responses. That can be useful for stress, anxiety and managing urges linked to addictions.

Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to choose methods that fit the person's needs, goals and preferences, and adjust the plan over time as progress is made.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the available session formats before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy around work, family or travel commitments, reduce time spent on commuting, and allow shorter check-ins when a full session isn't needed. It can also allow people to use methods like CBT homework or parts work between sessions to keep momentum between meetings.