Richard Gordon-Smith , NCPS

Richard Gordon-Smith offers help for a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, parenting strains, addictions and issues around self-esteem. He also supports people facing grief, trauma and intimate or sexuality-related worries. Richard's practice notes work with LGBT concerns, ADHD and career or life-change challenges.

Richard trained in psychology and later completed an Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling at the University of Manchester. He holds the NCPS credential and has practised in mental health settings for 13 years. That background informs a practical, down-to-earth approach in sessions.

In conversations he keeps things straightforward and person-centred. Sessions are a chance to talk through what matters most, notice unhelpful patterns and try small changes. He draws on client-centred listening alongside cognitive tools to help when worry, low mood or unhelpful behaviours get in the way.

Richard also uses emotion-focused and psychodynamic ways of working to understand how past relationships shape current feelings. He mixes different approaches to suit each person rather than using a single method for everyone. This means plans are built around what the individual wants to change.

People often come for short-term coaching or longer work that looks at deeper patterns. Sessions can include practical strategies, reflective conversation and steps to improve daily coping. The emphasis is on clear, manageable work that fits into everyday life.

How these approaches translate to online therapy

Attachment-based work pays attention to how early relationships affect current feelings and connections. Online sessions can help people notice patterns in how they relate to others and practise different ways of responding. Client-centred therapy focuses on listening and understanding without judgement. In an online setting this usually means open, paced conversations where the counsellor follows the client's lead and helps them find their own solutions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, breaks problems into thoughts, feelings and behaviours and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns; it suits issues like anxiety, low mood and sleep difficulties.

Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the work. Richard will discuss goals and try methods collaboratively, adjusting the focus if something is not helping. This means the style of sessions can shift from short practical tasks to deeper reflective work depending on what the client wants.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people use visual cues for deeper conversation, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging are useful for brief check-ins or when shorter exchanges fit a busy day. These options help make regular contact more achievable for different schedules and needs.