Valerie Harmer , BACP

Valerie Harmer is a counsellor who supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and relationship problems. She also helps with grief, trauma, eating and sleeping problems, ADHD and life changes. Valerie uses practical, goal-focused work so people can start to feel more in control again.

Her style is straightforward and collaborative. She asks questions to help people see what keeps a problem going and what small changes could make a difference. Sessions aim to be respectful and non-judgemental, with feedback and guidance about next steps.

Valerie blends solution-focused work with cognitive behavioural and mindfulness ideas. That means looking at current patterns, testing small changes and learning ways to manage thoughts and feelings day to day. She offers short-term plans or longer work depending on what each person wants to achieve.

She trained in counselling and CBT psychotherapy to postgraduate level at the University of South Wales and completed a Diploma in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy. Valerie has also trained as a bereavement counsellor with CRUSE and has nine years of practice experience.

Valerie is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and follows their code of conduct. She takes part in regular supervision and continues professional development to keep her work up to date.

Valerie works with adults on many concerns connected to relationships, identity, life purpose and coping. Her approach is practical and tailored to each person’s goals.

How Valerie’s approaches work online

Valerie uses cognitive behavioural ideas and solution-focused work to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and try practical changes. CBT helps identify thinking patterns that feed anxiety or low mood and teaches simple skills to test new ways of reacting. Solution-focused work looks for small, achievable steps and builds on what is already working for a person.

She also draws on mindfulness techniques to help people notice thoughts and feelings without getting swept up by them. Mindfulness can be useful for managing stress, improving sleep and reducing rumination. Choosing the right mix of approaches is a joint process - she will talk with each person about goals and preferences and agree on a plan together.

Online sessions can be held by video call, phone, live chat or text messaging to fit different lives. Video allows deeper face-to-face conversation, phone can be easier when bandwidth is low, and messaging suits quick check-ins or ongoing support between calls. These formats give flexibility for appointments outside traditional office hours and help people fit therapy around work, caring responsibilities or travel.