Deborah Espie , BACP

Deborah Espie is a compassionate counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, grief and low mood. She also supports those dealing with addictions, eating concerns, intimacy issues, self-esteem struggles and life changes. Deborah works with adults seeking practical ways to cope and move forward.

She takes a calm, down-to-earth approach that aims to make conversation feel straightforward and manageable. Sessions are tailored to what each person needs and progress is guided at the client's own pace. Deborah draws on eight years of experience and holds BACP registration, which she uses to inform her practice.

Her background includes senior clinical and academic roles that widened her understanding of how people adapt and recover. That experience informs her work with neurodivergent clients and those navigating complex, overlapping issues such as chronic illness, caregiving stress or co-morbidity. She also supports people affected by abandonment, attachment or communication problems.

In sessions she blends client-centred listening with mindfulness and solution-focused techniques. Trauma-focused methods are used when appropriate to address past harm. Deborah sometimes brings creativity into the room, using imagery or reflective exercises to help express what words alone do not.

Therapy can happen by video call, phone, live chat or messaging depending on what suits the person. Costs vary with location and a subscription model is used, which can be cancelled at any time. To begin, people follow the platform Start Therapy process and schedule sessions according to her availability.

How Deborah’s approaches translate to online therapy

Deborah uses client-centred work which means the conversation begins with what matters most to the person. The therapist listens without judgement and helps clients set the pace and topics for exploration. This approach helps with anxiety, low mood and self-esteem by building a steady, respectful working relationship.

She also draws on mindfulness-based techniques that teach simple ways to notice thoughts and physical sensations. These exercises can reduce reactivity and support day-to-day coping with stress, trauma-related distress and chronic worry. Solution-focused methods are used to identify small, practical steps that create change quickly, useful for people seeking clear strategies for specific problems.

Finding the right approach is a shared process. Deborah will discuss options and try methods that fit the person's goals and preferences, adjusting as work progresses. This collaborative stance helps clients feel involved in planning their care and testing what works for them.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people maintain visual contact and work more closely with imagery or exercises. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit brief reflections, ongoing notes between sessions or people who prefer writing to speaking. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving and daily life.