Valerie Stanley-Brooks, BACP

Valerie Stanley-Brooks is a UK-credentialed counsellor and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), bringing more than 25 years of professional experience to her practice. She offers compassionate, evidence-informed counselling and psychotherapy to young people, adults, and couples, blending several therapeutic models to match each person’s unique needs.

Over the course of her career she has worked across educational, therapeutic, and voluntary settings, supporting people from diverse backgrounds through stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, addictions, relationship and family difficulties, parenting challenges, and many other concerns. Her integrative, client-centred approach emphasizes listening and collaboration while drawing on practical tools and therapeutic techniques to promote lasting change.

When working with couples she focuses on repairing trust, improving communication, rebuilding connection, and strengthening emotional bonds. Valerie also provides support for issues such as low self-esteem, anger, eating or sleeping problems, career transitions, and compassion fatigue, tailoring her work to the priorities a person brings to therapy.

Recognizing that reaching out for help can feel daunting, she aims to create a non-judgmental space where people can explore thoughts and feelings at their own pace. To complement sessions she offers a range of resources and materials to guide the therapeutic process. If someone is ready to begin or simply wants to learn more about counselling and psychotherapy, Valerie is available to discuss how she can help and to support each step of the journey.

Applying therapeutic approaches to online care

Valerie draws on client-centred therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as core methods in her work. Client-centred therapy focuses on creating an empathetic, non-judgmental space where the person’s experience guides the work; this approach helps with issues like low self-esteem, life transitions, and relationship concerns by prioritizing personal pace and self-exploration. CBT offers structured tools to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and can be especially useful for managing anxiety, depression, stress, and some aspects of addiction.

She also uses trauma-focused techniques when needed to support recovery from past harm and abuse, working carefully and collaboratively to help people process difficult memories and reduce their impact on daily life. Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process - Valerie works together with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences and to adapt methods over time, ensuring the plan fits the client rather than forcing a single model.

Online therapy with Valerie is available by video call, phone session, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering practical flexibility for busy schedules, travel limitations, or differing comfort levels with face-to-face work. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, access therapy from home or while abroad, and integrate support into everyday life with fewer logistical barriers, all while working with licensed professionals and experienced therapists.