Valerie Harmer, BACP

Valerie Harmer is a Solution-Focused therapist who helps people make sense of why they are struggling and what keeps those difficulties in place. She works collaboratively with clients to identify patterns that maintain unhelpful cycles and to map out practical changes that support progress. With a pragmatic, change-focused approach, Valerie offers both brief and longer-term work tailored to individual goals and the pace each person needs.

Over nine years she has completed postgraduate study in Counselling and CBT Psychotherapy at the University of South Wales, earned a Diploma in Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy at the Clifton Practice in Bristol, and trained as a bereavement counsellor with CRUSE. She is a member of the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - a professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists, and follows their code of conduct, including regular clinical supervision and ongoing professional development.

Valerie works with individuals and couples across a broad range of emotional and relationship issues, including anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, OCD, phobias, depression, bereavement and relationship difficulties. She also supports people facing life changes, grief, trauma and abuse, parenting and family problems, and a variety of other concerns. In sessions she listens without judgment, asks focused questions to build understanding, and offers respectful feedback and guidance to help clients move forward.

Solution-Focused and CBT Approaches for Online Support

Valerie commonly draws on Solution-Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to guide online work. Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on identifying a person's resources and small, achievable steps toward change - it is particularly useful for breaking unhelpful patterns and moving quickly toward practical goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy examines the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers structured techniques to reduce anxiety, low mood and unhelpful reactions.

Mindfulness-informed practices may also be used to help increase present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity, offering simple exercises that support stress management and emotional regulation. Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process - Valerie works with each person to explore their needs, goals and preferences, and to shape a plan that feels like the best fit for them.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging offers flexibility for people balancing work, family or health needs. These options make it easier to access consistent support, schedule sessions at convenient times, and continue therapeutic momentum between meetings while working with a licensed professional or therapist who can adapt methods to the remote format.