Polly Thelwall , BACP

Polly Thelwall is a counsellor who focuses on women's issues and related concerns. She offers a calm space for people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, relationship tension, trauma, or low self-esteem. Polly speaks plainly and listens closely to help people feel heard as they start to make change.

Polly uses a psychodynamic approach to look at how past experiences shape present patterns. She pays attention to the parts of life that are often hard to name and helps clients notice repetitive reactions in relationships and self-image. This can be useful for issues such as abandonment, attachment difficulties, codependency and commitment worries.

Her work also draws on relational and somatic ideas, and she uses a parts-based model to help people recognise different feelings and needs within themselves. That means sessions may include gentle reflection on bodily experience, relational patterns, and inner parts that hold fear or protection.

Polly has eight years' experience working in mental health and creativity alongside her counselling practice. She holds BACP accreditation, which is shown as BACP in her credentials. Her background includes supporting people through trauma, chronic illness, caregiver stress, body image concerns and separation.

Sessions are offered in English and are delivered online using several formats. People in the United Kingdom can work with her through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging depending on what fits their day and needs.

Psychodynamic online therapy and flexible session formats

Psychodynamic Therapy looks at how past relationships and early experiences shape present thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It helps people notice repeated patterns in relationships, self-worth and emotional responses so they can try different ways of relating and feeling.

Relational approaches emphasise the here-and-now of the therapeutic relationship. The counsellor notices interactions between client and therapist to help identify patterns that also appear in everyday relationships. Somatic ideas bring attention to bodily sensations and how the body holds stress, which can be helpful for trauma, chronic pain or anxiety.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs and adapt the mix of psychodynamic, relational or somatic work to suit each person. Clients and therapist plan together what to focus on and review progress as they go.

Online delivery offers flexibility and practical benefits. Video calls allow for conversational depth and visual connection, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins, and text messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it simpler to fit therapy around work, caregiving and day-to-day life while still engaging with reflective, psychodynamic work.