Alison Holder , BACP

Alison Holder is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom with ten years' experience. She holds BACP accreditation, which is shown here as BACP. Alison focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, and self-esteem struggles.

Her approach is straightforward and relationship-based. She works in a warm, non-judgemental way and aims to make sessions feel like a calm space to talk. Alison listens for the practical problems behind worry and emotional pain, then helps people identify small, realistic steps forward.

Alison has substantial experience with trauma, bereavement, abuse and crisis situations. She also supports people coping with addiction, anger, bipolar symptoms, attention differences and issues linked to intimacy and commitment. Many clients come to her when they feel stuck or isolated and want clearer ways of relating to others and themselves.

Therapy sessions are collaborative. Alison uses methods that include attachment-focused thinking, client-centred listening, trauma-focused work and psychodynamic ideas to look at patterns across a person's life. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, often shortened to EMDR, is part of her toolkit for working with traumatic memories.

She invites people to say what they need and to pace the work to their comfort. Practical goals, improved communication and greater self-understanding are common aims she helps people pursue.

Approaches for online trauma and relationship work

Alison uses attachment-based thinking to look at how early relationships still shape current feelings and reactions; this helps when trust, closeness or commitment feel difficult. Client-centred therapy means she listens closely and follows the person's pace, helping them find their own solutions rather than imposing answers. EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, is used to work with distressing memories so they feel less overwhelming and intrusive.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Alison will talk with each person about their goals, symptoms and preferences and then suggest ways to proceed. Together they decide whether to focus on present-day coping, look at past patterns with psychodynamic ideas, or work directly with traumatic memories using EMDR.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people read facial expressions and body language while taking part from wherever they are. Phone sessions can be a lower-bandwidth option or suit someone who prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging allow shorter check-ins, ongoing reflection between sessions and support that can fit into busy days. Many registered or accredited professionals find these formats help therapy fit into everyday life without needing travel.