Lorraine McDonnell , BACP

Lorraine McDonnell is a BACP counsellor who focuses on helping people regain a sense of calm when overthinking, anxiety or low mood take over. She draws on four years of practice to offer steady, practical support for stress, depression, grief and related challenges. Sessions aim to help people feel heard and understood while building the skills to manage day-to-day pressures.

She works in a straightforward, person-centred way that puts the client’s experience first. That means listening closely, reflecting what’s happening, and helping people spot patterns in their thinking and behaviour. Cognitive behavioural tools are used when they fit the person’s goals, to test unhelpful thoughts and try small behavioural changes.

Her background includes supporting people through bereavement, relationship strain, addiction concerns and coping with life changes. Lorraine also addresses issues like self-esteem, sleep problems, anger and compassion fatigue. She welcomes discussions about identity and LGBT concerns and helps with career and parenting stresses when these come up.

Sessions are collaborative and paced to each person. Lorraine combines moments of practical skill-building with space to talk through painful emotions. The aim is clearer thinking, more manageable responses to stress, and better coping with difficult life events.

Working online, she offers a range of formats to suit different needs. People can expect a calm, non-judgemental approach and straightforward strategies they can try between sessions. If someone wants support for anxiety, grief or low mood, she helps them put small changes into practice.

How online approaches and therapy work together

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person’s experience, with the counsellor offering active listening and empathy to help people feel understood. This approach is useful when someone needs space to name emotions, make sense of a difficult event or rebuild self-esteem.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It uses practical exercises and experiments to test unhelpful thinking and try small behavioural changes, which can help with anxiety, low mood and sleep problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the process, and Lorraine will work with each person to decide what fits best. The choice is collaborative - based on the person’s goals, day-to-day reality and what feels most useful in sessions. Plans can be adjusted as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation without travelling. Phone sessions or live chat can be easier when someone needs a shorter check-in or lower bandwidth. Text-based messaging supports ongoing reflection between scheduled meetings. These options make it simpler to fit therapy around work, caregiving and other commitments while accessing the same therapeutic methods a counsellor uses in person.