Melanie O'Brien , BACP

Melanie O'Brien uses a person-centred approach to help people make sense of difficult moments. She offers a calm, respectful space where clients can speak openly about anxiety, low mood, grief, or struggles with self-esteem. Melanie writes in a gentle, honest way and aims to be a steady presence as people begin to untangle what feels heavy.

She focuses on stress, addictions, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and the effects of trauma and abuse. Melanie also supports people facing parenting strain, family problems, chronic illness and caregiving stress. Practical concerns such as body image, eating difficulties, substance use and communication problems are addressed in sessions.

Melanie draws primarily on Client-Centred Therapy, which prioritises a trusting relationship and listening without judgement. She adapts her approach to each person, working at the client’s pace and bringing in different techniques when they help. Sessions are aimed at helping people feel understood and clearer about next steps.

With five years of experience, Melanie combines professional practice with a respectful attitude towards the effort it takes to reach out. She works with adults who want to process grief, cope with life changes, or build healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. Sessions can focus on short-term coping or longer term personal exploration.

Melanie is based in the United Kingdom and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She offers sessions in English via video calls, phone, live chat or text-based messaging, using a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.

How a person-centred approach works online

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on creating a trusting relationship and listening deeply to the person in front of the counsellor. In practice this means the therapist aims to understand your experience without judgement, reflect what they hear, and support you to find your own solutions. This approach helps with anxiety, low mood, grief, relationship difficulties and self-esteem concerns.

Melanie adapts the person-centred stance to online work, adjusting pacing and techniques to fit remote formats. Choosing the right approach is a shared process - the therapist will talk with you about your goals and preferences and suggest what might help most. That collaboration continues as sessions progress, so the plan can change if something isn’t working.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation when you want visual contact. Phone sessions need less bandwidth and can be easier on days you don’t want to be on camera. Live chat or text-based messaging suits quick check-ins, shorter exchanges or people who prefer writing their thoughts. These options make it simpler to fit therapy around work, caring duties or mobility limits while keeping focus on the therapeutic work.