Melinda Best, BACP

Melinda Best is a counsellor who focuses on helping people facing addictions, relationship strains, family conflict, low self-esteem and coaching needs. She works with adults who want clearer goals, better motivation, or more confidence. Melinda draws on 16 years of professional experience in the United Kingdom and holds BACP registration, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy credential. She believes each person knows their own story and has strengths they can use to change things. Sessions aim to build on those strengths while finding practical steps forward. Conversations are straightforward and collaborative, with space to talk through what matters most to the client. Her approach blends client-centred listening with goal-focused techniques. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, where thoughts and behaviours are looked at together, is used to help shift unhelpful patterns. Mindfulness tools and somatic ideas are brought in when stress, body tension or feeling disconnected are part of the problem. Motivational Interviewing is used to boost readiness for change, especially around addictions and lifestyle choices. Melinda can support people juggling caregiving responsibilities, chronic illness or midlife transitions and those facing isolation, guilt or forgiveness issues. Starting points include clarifying priorities, trying small experiments between sessions, and tracking progress. The work aims to be practical and grounded, helping people make steady changes that fit their everyday lives.

How Melinda’s approaches fit with online therapy

Client-centred therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters to a person. It helps people feel heard and clarify their own goals, which can be effective in talking-based sessions online or in person.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns. It often includes worksheets and agreed behavioural experiments that can be done between sessions.

Mindfulness-based techniques teach simple attention and breathing practices to reduce stress and increase awareness. These tools can help with addictions, chronic pain and feelings of isolation by offering short daily practices.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options and try different techniques based on a client’s needs, goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process where methods are adapted over time.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm the current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people use the approaches above from wherever they are, while still focusing on practical steps and homework that support progress.