Virginia Messina, NCPS

Virginia Messina offers direct, honest therapy for adults seeking clearer relationships with themselves and others. She creates a straightforward, non-judgemental space where people can talk about grief, relationship problems, anxiety, stress and the effects of past trauma. Her style can be warm and occasionally provocative, with a bit of sarcasm and humour, and she invites creativity such as art or music when it helps the work.

Virginia trained with a Foundation Degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Central Lancashire, and has three years' clinical experience. Much of her background comes from supporting people at a domestic violence centre, where she worked with the impacts of relational trauma and abuse. She uses a person-centred base alongside mindfulness techniques to help people build awareness and emotional regulation.

In sessions she aims to help people understand habitual patterns, notice where they feel stuck and practise different ways of responding. The focus can include attachment or abandonment worries, codependency, communication problems, intimacy-related concerns, guilt and shame, and multicultural issues. Work with post-traumatic stress and grief is also supported.

Her approach involves shared responsibility: the therapist and client decide together what will be most useful. Virginia stresses realistic, sustainable change rather than quick fixes, and she expects the client to take an active role in the process.

For Italian-speaking clients she prefers the formal Lei as a way to keep a clear therapeutic frame. She is based in the United Kingdom and holds the NCPS credential.

How her approaches shape online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening with empathy and helping you find your own solutions; it suits people wanting to feel heard and to build self-understanding. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple practices to notice thoughts and feelings without getting swept away, which can help with anxiety, stress and emotional regulation.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences and what feels most helpful. Together they adjust methods as the sessions progress so the approach fits real needs rather than a fixed plan.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm current session options before booking as formats are not specified here. Many people find online work easier to fit into daily life, for example a shorter check-in between commitments or easier access when travel is difficult. Online work can also make it simpler to include creative tasks such as writing, drawing or music between meetings. Registered or accredited professionals can offer flexible ways to continue therapy that suit work, family and other routines; discuss practical arrangements with the therapist when you book.