David O'Hara, NCPS

David O'Hara is a Person-Centred counsellor with nearly five years of post-qualification practice and more than 15 years of experience working in mental health settings. He trained and worked across care homes, forensic step-down services, and mental health charities, supporting adults with complex needs such as personality disorders, addiction, and longstanding mental health challenges.

He offers a compassionate, non-directive approach rooted in empathy, authenticity, and acceptance. David believes that a genuine, accepting therapeutic relationship can be deeply healing. Rather than judging, diagnosing, or trying to fix someone, he aims to walk alongside clients, offering space to explore thoughts, feelings, and life experiences at a self-directed pace. His work is collaborative, trusting the client as the expert in their own life while supporting them to regain clarity, direction, and self-trust.

David works with adults aged 18 and over and has specific experience in areas such as addiction, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, neurodivergence, and LGB identities. His practice is neurodivergent-affirming, LGB-friendly, and trauma-aware. He holds the NCPS credential, a professional counselling qualification. If someone is considering therapy to address crisis, feeling stuck, or to better understand themselves, David welcomes contact to begin the process together.

Client-Centered Care and Online Therapy

David uses Client-Centered Therapy, an approach that emphasizes empathy, genuine presence, and acceptance. In practice this means the therapist follows the client's lead, offering a supportive environment where people can explore feelings and make sense of their experiences at their own pace. This approach can be especially helpful for issues like anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship concerns, and navigating life changes.

Alongside a client-centered framework, David brings a trauma-aware and neurodivergent-affirming stance to online work. Being trauma-aware means he pays careful attention to signs of overwhelm and adapts pacing and boundaries accordingly. An affirming practice for neurodivergent and LGB clients focuses on understanding individual communication styles and identity needs rather than pathologizing differences.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process, and David works collaboratively with each person to identify what fits their needs, goals, and preferences. Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call or phone, and shorter or ongoing contact is possible through live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to access consistent support from licensed professionals regardless of location within the therapist's service area.