Lilia Sykes , BACP

Lilia Sykes is a compassionate counsellor who helps people manage stress, anxiety and life changes. She works with clients facing low self-esteem, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, trauma, addiction and LGBT-related issues. Lilia aims to create a calm space where people can talk openly and feel heard.

She draws on a person-centred way of working that keeps the client's priorities at the centre. That means sessions are guided by what matters to the person sitting in the room, while the counsellor offers empathy and non-judgemental listening. Interventions from cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness are added when they might help tackle unhelpful thinking or grounding in the moment.

Lilia has eight years of experience as a practising counsellor and is BACP registered, working from the United Kingdom. Her background includes ongoing professional development in different therapeutic techniques, which she blends to meet individual needs. She is comfortable supporting people with ADHD, attachment and abandonment issues, body image concerns and a wide range of family and career stresses.

Sessions can include short practical exercises, reflective conversation and goal-oriented steps when people want them. She encourages clients to go at their own pace and to bring up whatever feels important, whether that is parenting stress, career decisions, or coping with chronic illness.

Lilia welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and accepts international clients. She mainly offers voice calls to reduce screen strain but will arrange video or live chat when clients prefer those formats.

How Lilia blends approaches and online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts without being led by them and to focus on what matters most. It can be useful for anxiety, depression and navigating life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and offers clear strategies to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for stress, worry and sleep or eating concerns. Client-Centred Therapy places the client's experience at the heart of sessions, with the counsellor offering empathic listening and a non-judgemental space to talk through concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and try different techniques together. This is a collaborative process and methods are adjusted to match the person's needs over time.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls are good for a face-to-face feel, while phone sessions reduce screen time and use less bandwidth. Live chat or text-based messaging can suit quick check-ins, shorter conversations or when typing helps a person express themselves. These options make it easier to fit counselling around work, family and other commitments and let people pick the format that best supports their wellbeing.