Nicola Young, BACP

Nicola Young is a BACP registered counsellor working in the United Kingdom who combines formal therapeutic training with a long-standing background in the creative arts. She brings an integrative, person-centred stance to her practice, creating a calm and nonjudgmental space where feelings and thoughts can be explored at the client’s pace. Nicola works collaboratively, tailoring techniques to what each person hopes to achieve and drawing on client-centred, existential, and solution-focused ideas as needed.

Her experience includes private practice, work with local counselling agencies, online provision, and volunteering with a local mental health charity. Alongside three years of professional therapeutic practice, she also describes two decades of experience supporting people navigating creative careers, informed by a BA (Hons) in Music from Dartington College of Arts. Nicola holds a Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling from CPCAB and earlier CPCAB diplomas and certificates, and she is a registered member of the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Her areas of focus include stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family issues, loss and grief, self-esteem, trauma and abuse, addiction-related concerns, parenting and blended family challenges, and neurodiverse issues such as ADHD. Nicola has completed further training in areas such as safeguarding, suicide awareness, mental health first aid, working with attachment, anger and shame, self-esteem and assertiveness, and online and telephone counselling. She aims to support and empower people taking the first steps toward change and is available to respond to enquiries and arrange sessions during advertised hours.

Therapeutic approaches for online support

Nicola integrates several accessible therapeutic approaches into her online work to meet different needs. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening without judgment and supporting the person's own capacity for insight and growth - it is often helpful for issues like low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and stress. Existential Therapy explores questions of meaning, choice, and responsibility, which can be useful for people facing major life changes, grief, or a sense of stuckness. Solution-Focused Therapy is goal-oriented and practical, helping clients identify small, achievable steps to manage anxiety, cope with change, or improve communication.

Navigating which approach fits best is part of the therapeutic process. Nicola works collaboratively with each person to clarify goals, preferences, and practical concerns, adapting methods as sessions progress to find the most helpful path forward. This shared decision-making helps tailor support to individual priorities.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - Nicola provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier to access licensed professionals from home or work, reduce travel time, and allow therapy to fit around daily life while still providing structured, ongoing support.