Summar Ali , BACP

Summar Ali is a counsellor who aims to make it easier to talk about hard things. She offers calm, straightforward support for people dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, relationship problems and questions about identity. Summ focuses on helping people find ways to cope, make decisions, and feel steadier in day-to-day life.

She draws on eleven years of experience across services including child and adolescent mental health, school counselling, drug and alcohol work, bereavement support and sexual trauma services. She has also lectured at the University of Southampton and the Anna Freud Centre and holds a BA in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Her way of working is practical and person-centred. Conversations are led by what matters to the client, and she uses tools from different approaches to suit each situation. Sessions often include noticing patterns, learning simple skills, and setting small, realistic goals between meetings.

Summ is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She also has postgraduate certificates in evidence-based interventions for children and young people and in supervisory skills, plus higher education teaching credentials.

Outside of online work she sometimes uses animal-assisted methods in other settings. She believes healing is a process and works alongside people as they try things out, reflect, and adapt what helps them most.

Practical therapy approaches for online care

Summ often uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy in online work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on clarifying what matters to a person and learning small actions that align with those values while allowing uncomfortable feelings to be present. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current connections and helps people try different ways of relating and communicating.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. That discussion will shape session focus, whether the priority is managing overwhelming feelings, improving relationships, or developing daily routines.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging, which makes it easier to fit therapy around work and family life. Video lets people use visual cues and more in-depth conversation. Phone calls need less bandwidth and can be a simpler check-in. Live chat and messaging suit shorter updates or steady support between longer sessions. These options aim to increase flexibility and make it easier to keep a therapeutic routine.