Cathleen Brentnall , BACP

Cathleen Brentnall is a counsellor who helps people facing relationship difficulties, trauma, anxiety and changes that feel overwhelming. She is experienced in supporting those dealing with grief, parenting strain, self-esteem struggles and work-related stress. Cathleen is based in the United Kingdom and works in English.

Cathleen draws on ten years of practice and a BACP accreditation to shape sessions around each person’s needs. She listens first and then helps people set simple, practical goals they can work on between meetings. Her style is collaborative and paced to what feels manageable for the client.

Her background includes work with grief, abuse, bipolar and depression, and she also supports people coping with chronic illness, caregiving stress and body image concerns. She offers help for a wide range of everyday problems such as sleep, eating, anger and concentration challenges linked to ADHD.

Cathleen uses several therapeutic methods to guide conversations and change, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy and EMDR. These approaches are chosen to match the person’s goals, not as fixed rules.

Sessions are practical and conversational. Clients can expect a mix of talking, mindful noticing and simple tasks to try between sessions. Cathleen can include faith and prayer in sessions when a client wants that element explored.

People who prefer remote options can work with her from other locations, including international clients. She invites newcomers to start by describing what matters most to them and then setting realistic next steps together.

Approaches and how online therapy works

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and then take steps that match their values. ACT can be useful when life changes feel disorienting or when anxiety and low mood make action hard.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and practising small changes. It often helps with anxiety, depression, sleep problems and stress by giving simple, practical tools to try between sessions.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured method used to process distressing memories and reduce their emotional intensity. It is commonly used for trauma and abuse related issues and is introduced carefully at a pace the client can manage.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The counsellor will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most useful, and then try methods that match those needs. This is a collaborative process and can be adjusted as therapy progresses.

Online sessions offer flexibility in how people meet. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that is helpful, phone sessions can require less bandwidth, live chat can suit shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging supports ongoing reflection between scheduled sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and travel commitments while keeping the focus on the client's priorities.