Angela Higgins, BACP

Angela Higgins began her work in mental health as a befriender supporting people affected by the Troubles in Northern Ireland, helping those who experienced stress, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia and domestic or sexual abuse. Witnessing the resilience of the people she supported inspired her to train as a counsellor and build a career focused on practical and compassionate therapeutic help.

She is a member of the BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and her training was grounded in Carl Rogers person-centered theory. The person-centered core conditions of empathy, congruence - meaning genuineness - and unconditional positive regard - meaning nonjudgmental acceptance - remain central to her practice. Over time she found that many clients also benefit from structured work, so she regularly integrates cognitive behavioural methods alongside other approaches to meet each client s needs.

Across a 22 year career Angela has specialised in addictions work, including ten years as an addictions counsellor and four of those years working in a local prison. Her clinical experience covers panic attacks, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, domestic and sexual abuse, stress, trauma and PTSD, bereavement, anger management, domestic violence affecting men and women, and support for people leaving prison.

In the last decade she has trained in complementary therapies such as Reiki, sound healing, reflexology and Indian head massage and continues to explore modalities that may support a client s overall wellbeing. Angela welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively with people seeking change and emotional support.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Angela Higgins draws on person-centered therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy to guide online work. Person-centered therapy focuses on empathy, genuineness and nonjudgmental acceptance, helping clients explore their feelings and build self-understanding; it is especially useful for processing life changes, grief, relationship concerns and self-esteem issues. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) involves identifying and adjusting unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns, offering practical tools for managing anxiety, depression, panic and many stress-related problems.

Finding the best approach is part of the therapeutic process and Angela works collaboratively with each person to tailor methods to their needs, goals and preferences. She will discuss options, monitor progress and adapt techniques so therapy fits the individual rather than forcing a single model.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions around work, family and health commitments. These options allow clients to access licensed professionals from different locations and to choose the medium that feels most comfortable, supporting continuity of care and consistent progress.