Paul Cleland, BACP

Paul Cleland is a UK-based counsellor with 10 years of professional experience who supports people navigating stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and relationship challenges. He works from a compassionate, strength-based stance, helping clients identify the abilities and resources they already hold and building on those to meet life changes and emotional difficulties.

Paul integrates mind and body in his work, using somatic techniques alongside reflective inquiry to address emotional patterns and blocks that feel stuck in the body. He also draws on Internal Family Systems ideas to help people understand and work with different parts of themselves - for example parts that feel protective, ashamed, or withdrawn. His practice offers focused support for issues such as grief, anger, compassion fatigue, and feelings of isolation, and he also addresses themes of forgiveness, guilt, and self-love.

Paul is accredited with the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - and aims to create a supportive environment where change feels possible. He approaches therapy as a collaborative process, empowering people to take courageous steps toward more fulfilling, resilient lives.

Somatic and IFS approaches for online therapy

Paul uses somatic therapy to help people tune into physical sensations and how emotions are held in the body. This approach encourages gentle awareness of bodily signals and can be helpful for releasing tension, managing anxiety, and working through emotional blocks that feel embodied.

He also applies Internal Family Systems ideas, which explores the different parts of a person - such as protective parts, vulnerable parts, and critical parts - and guides clients to relate to those parts with curiosity and compassion. IFS can be useful for understanding internal conflicts, self-criticism, and patterns that affect relationships.

Finding the right method is part of the therapeutic journey, and Paul approaches this collaboratively. He works with each client to identify which techniques fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting the work as trust and insight develop.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules, mobility limits, or international clients. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care and access support from wherever a client is located, while enabling the therapist and client to practice somatic awareness and internal exploration together in ways that suit the individual.