Paula Byrne, BACP

Paula Byrne is a counsellor with six years of professional experience in the United Kingdom and registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She began her working life in hairdressing and barbering, and later worked in a GP surgery, a homeless hostel and with the Samaritans. These roles shaped her way of listening and the value she places on honest, caring conversation.

Paula offers a calm, non-judgemental space where people can begin to untangle confusing or painful thoughts. Sessions are paced to suit the individual, with an emphasis on feeling heard and finding small steps forward. She describes her approach as warm, down-to-earth and practical.

In her practice Paula helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, family problems, trauma and abuse, grief and addictions. She also supports people with intimacy-related concerns and a range of additional focus areas such as attachment issues, autism and Asperger syndrome, caregiving stress and body image worries.

Her work draws on several therapeutic ways of working including Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Jungian ideas. In sessions she aims to uncover strengths and practical tools to cope with day-to-day challenges.

Paula invites a compassionate, steady pace and encourages people to take therapy one step at a time. She emphasises honest listening and aims to help clients notice the small shifts that lead to clearer choices and better coping.

How Paula's approaches translate to online work

Paula draws on Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centred Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in her practice. Attachment-Based work focuses on how relationships shape feelings and reactions, helping people understand patterns from early and current relationships. Client-Centred Therapy puts the person's experience at the centre, with the counsellor offering empathic listening and reflection so the client can find their own solutions. CBT looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact and offers practical techniques to manage anxiety, stress and unhelpful patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Paula will discuss options with each person and adapt methods to match their goals and preferences. That collaborative process helps decide whether to emphasise practical tools, relational exploration or a mix of both.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session formats available before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, cut travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also help people stay connected to regular support when life is unpredictable. Registered or accredited professionals, including therapists, can tailor their approach so the work still focuses on listening, practical steps and steady progress.