Danielle (Dani) McTernan , BACP

Danielle (Dani) McTernan is a counsellor and psychotherapist who works from the United Kingdom. She holds BACP accreditation and has around four years of experience working with clients in online and private settings. Dani describes her style as warm, friendly and non-judgemental, and she meets people with respect and curiosity.

She aims to make the first steps into therapy straightforward. Sessions begin by exploring why someone has come and what they want to change. Dani works at a gentle pace and adapts to each person's needs, using a mixture of online, phone, live chat and messaging sessions.

Dani is neuro-divergent and LGBTQ+ affirming, and she says lived experience matters in therapy. She focuses on the here and now, and on the choices people can make going forward. This practical outlook is paired with a curiosity about life’s bigger questions.

Her work covers a wide range of concerns including trauma and abuse, grief, anxiety, depression, stress and self-esteem. She also supports people with relationship and intimacy-related issues, parenting strains, sleep difficulties and career worries. Additional areas of focus include ADHD, compassion fatigue and chronic health challenges.

In sessions she encourages clients to recognise their own strengths and resources. The aim is to help people make decisions that feel authentic and meaningful. Dani frames therapy as a collaborative process that can help people move towards a more fulfilling life.

Approaches that suit online counselling

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It focuses on values and small, meaningful steps, which can help with anxiety, depression and life changes. Client-Centred Therapy places the person’s experience at the centre of sessions. The therapist listens with empathy and supports people to find their own answers, useful for self-esteem and relationship concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours link together and teaches practical ways to change unhelpful patterns. It can be helpful for anxiety, sleeping problems and low mood.

Choosing the right approach is part of working together. Dani will discuss different ways of working in early sessions and help figure out what fits best with the person's goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process and methods can be adapted as therapy progresses.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy lives or limited options for face-to-face work. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is low or someone prefers not to use video, and live chat or text-based messaging can be useful for shorter check-ins or for those who process better in writing. These options make it easier to schedule therapy around work, caregiving or travel, while keeping continuity across sessions.