Nicola Murray , BACP

Nicola Murray is a counsellor who helps people who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, stress or life changes. She uses straightforward talking and practical tools so clients can manage day-to-day pressure and feel more like themselves. Nicola holds BACP accreditation, which is listed as her professional credential, and she has six years of experience working with adults.

Nicola keeps sessions collaborative and practical. She listens first and then offers techniques drawn from different approaches, adapting them to each person. Common concerns she sees include relationship and intimacy difficulties, LGBT matters, grief, trauma and abuse, addiction, and problems with sleep or eating.

She also supports people dealing with ADHD, anger, low self-esteem and work stress, and she can help when life has shifted after separation or bereavement. Nicola works with issues linked to attachment, abandonment and codependency, and she is comfortable talking about kink, BDSM and alternative sexual culture without judgement.

Sessions are aimed at helping people spot unhelpful patterns and try new ways of responding. Nicola uses gentle guidance and practical exercises so changes can start between sessions as well as during them. She offers help to people in the United Kingdom and to international clients in English.

Her approach is flexible rather than prescriptive. Nicola will work with a client to find techniques that fit their situation, drawing on cognitive and acceptance-based methods alongside relationship-focused work where relevant.

Practical therapy approaches for online support

Nicola draws on cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and attachment-based work to shape online sessions. Cognitive behavioural therapy looks at how thoughts and behaviours keep problems going and offers simple, step-by-step strategies to try at home. Acceptance and commitment therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings while choosing actions that fit their values and long-term goals. Attachment-based work focuses on patterns in close relationships and helps people understand and change how they relate to others.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Nicola treats this as a collaborative process and will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs to decide which methods to try. She can combine elements from different approaches so therapy matches what the person wants to achieve.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video sessions let people see visual cues and practise new skills together. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging suit shorter updates, brief reflections or ongoing contact between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to access therapy from different locations.