Zara Whiteley, BACP

Zara Whiteley is a counsellor credentialed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has three years of professional experience. She works with people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, grief and depression. Zara aims to create a respectful and compassionate space so clients can take the first step towards feeling better.

Zara adapts conversations and the plan of work to each person’s needs. She listens for what matters most and helps people set realistic goals. Sessions focus on practical steps as well as understanding feelings, so progress can be noticed between meetings.

Her approach draws on client-centred work, where the person’s priorities shape the direction of therapy. She also uses solution-focused techniques to identify strengths and small changes that make a real difference. Motivational interviewing helps when someone needs support to make decisions or change habits.

Zara has worked with a wide range of concerns beyond the core areas, including caregiver stress, codependency, communication problems, fertility and blended family issues. She also supports people facing trauma, intimacy-related struggles, work-related compassion fatigue and issues such as hoarding or infidelity. This breadth means she can tailor practical steps to complex situations.

Sessions are offered in English and she accepts clients from outside the UK. Costs vary with location and the service uses a subscription that can be cancelled at any time. To begin, people choose Start Therapy, complete a short matching questionnaire, and book according to the therapist’s availability.

How Zara’s approaches shape online therapy

Client-centred therapy places the person’s experience at the heart of every session. The counsellor follows what the client brings, reflects those concerns, and helps people make sense of their feelings. This approach is useful for worries about relationships, grief, self-esteem and general life stress.

Solution-focused work zeroes in on small, achievable changes. It concentrates on strengths, times when problems are less severe, and practical steps to move forward. This style often suits people who want brief, goal-oriented sessions and clear actions to try between meetings.

Finding the right method is part of the process. Zara will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferred pace, and together they will decide which approaches to use. That collaborative planning makes it easier to adjust the work as progress is made.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the exact session formats before booking. Online work can help fit counselling into busy lives by reducing travel, allowing shorter check-ins that suit a lunch break, or removing the need to be on camera when that feels better. Registered or accredited professionals can still offer thorough, goal-focused therapy at a distance, and the therapist will help choose the best pattern of sessions for practical day-to-day life.