Vanessa Putnam , BACP

Vanessa Putnam is a trained counsellor in the United Kingdom with over nine years of professional experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, relationship and family difficulties, grief and loss, and parenting challenges. She has worked with a wide range of clients, including adults, older adults, and young people aged 14 to 25, and adapts her approach to suit each person's stage of life and circumstances.

Vanessa treats everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and she prioritizes building a trusting therapeutic relationship. She customizes conversations and treatment plans to reflect each client’s individual needs and goals, drawing on clinical approaches that fit the situation. Taking the first step toward therapy is acknowledged as an act of courage, and Vanessa expresses support and encouragement for those who begin this process.

She holds the BACP credential - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - which reflects her connection to a professional counselling body in the UK. Vanessa welcomes clients who are ready to start work on their concerns and looks forward to partnering with them to explore change and coping strategies together.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Vanessa commonly uses client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding with empathy so clients can explore their own values and solutions - it is helpful for building self-esteem, coping with life changes, and processing emotional difficulties. CBT is a structured approach that helps identify and adjust unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and it is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and sleep or eating concerns. She also draws on psychodynamic ideas to understand how past experiences and relationship patterns can influence current feelings and reactions, which can be useful for working through deeper emotional themes and attachment issues.

Finding the right approach is part of the work itself, and Vanessa collaborates with clients to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. That process may involve trying techniques from different approaches and adapting the plan over time to fit what helps most.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call or phone, and shorter exchanges are possible via live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, accommodate mobility or caregiving needs, and maintain continuity of support when face-to-face appointments are not feasible.