Gillian Cooper, BACP

Gillian Cooper is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain and issues around trust and intimacy. She works with adults and young people and supports those coping with loss, trauma, changes in sleep or eating, and struggles with self-esteem or addiction. Gillian draws on nine years of practical experience in different settings to guide conversations and next steps.

She uses both counselling and longer-term therapy depending on what the person needs. In shorter-term work she focuses on present difficulties and practical ways to manage day-to-day feelings. In longer-term therapy she looks at past experiences to understand patterns that affect current life.

Gillian has worked in trauma services for women and young girls, in independent care, with MIND UK and in NHS hospital bereavement services. She has also tutored counselling up to Level 4 and supported neuro-divergent people, those in crisis and those with challenging behaviours.

Her approach is collaborative and personalised. She helps people map out therapy goals and builds a clear plan for sessions. Where relevant, she can incorporate Biblical principles and Christian values into sessions at the client’s request.

Gillian holds membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She aims to create a respectful space where people can talk through what matters and work toward clearer ways of coping and relating.

How her approaches translate to online work

Gillian draws on attachment-based work and cognitive behavioural approaches alongside client-centred ways of working. Attachment-based work looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and can help with trust, abandonment and intimacy-related concerns. Cognitive behavioural work focuses on noticing and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours to reduce anxiety, improve sleep and manage mood. Client-centred practice places the person’s experience at the heart of sessions and aims to build understanding and self-direction.

Finding the right approach tends to be a shared process. Gillian will talk with each person about goals, preferences and what feels most helpful. Together they decide whether to focus on practical strategies, explore life history, or combine methods in a personalised plan.

If you are considering online work, check the session formats before booking to confirm what is currently offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It can also support continuity of care when life circumstances change. Registered or accredited professionals like Gillian can adapt these approaches to suit the practicalities of remote sessions and everyday life.