Ian Smith, BACP
Ian Smith is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who focuses on helping people cope with stress, anxiety, addiction and painful life changes.
About Ian
Ian Smith is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who focuses on helping people cope with stress, anxiety, addiction and painful life changes. He uses straightforward, practical conversation to help clients make sense of difficult feelings and find better ways to move forward. Sessions are calm and non-judgemental so people can talk honestly about what matters most to them.
With ten years of experience in social services and mental health settings, Ian draws on a range of approaches to suit different needs.
Background and approach
He starts where each person is and builds on what already works in their life. This means sessions often mix listening, practical coping skills and noticing unhelpful patterns. Ian works with a wide set of concerns including relationship and intimacy issues, grief, sleep and eating problems, parenting strain, ADHD and bipolar mood difficulties.
He also has experience with trauma and abuse, compassion fatigue, and matters linked to adoption, ageing and chronic illness. His practice includes methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT). These are used in collaborative ways to match a person’s goals and preferences.
Sessions are offered in English and Ian is available to work with people both in the UK and internationally. He aims to help clients develop simple, achievable steps so daily life feels more manageable and purposeful.
Details from the counsellor's public professional profile · registration number listed
← Browse all counsellorsRegistration
| Body | Registration number | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| BACP | 386318 | November 2026 |
Registration details are as listed on the counsellor's public profile. You can check any number with the registering body.
Sessions and payment
Sessions are held online through our partner platform, by video, phone or messaging depending on the counsellor.
Cost Costs are shown on the partner platform before you commit. If cost is a concern, ask about reduced-fee options.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Ian lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- ADHD
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Ways of working Ian names
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor lists and does not check training records.
How Ian’s approaches work in online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that reflect a person’s values. It can help with anxiety, depression and when a person feels stuck and wants clearer direction. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours link together and teaches practical tools to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, low mood and sleep or eating issues.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Ian will talk with each client about their goals and preferences and then try methods that fit. That process is collaborative and can change over time as different needs emerge.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text messaging, giving flexibility to fit therapy around work, family and travel. Video is useful for face-to-face style conversations, phone calls can be shorter check-ins or better when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or live chat lets people reflect between sessions. These options make it easier to keep continuity and access help from the UK or abroad when needed.
Frequently asked
What concerns does Ian commonly help with?
I help people facing stress, anxiety, addiction and depression. I also support clients with relationship issues, grief, sleep and eating problems, ADHD and bipolar related concerns.
What is Ian’s therapeutic style?
Sessions are conversational and practical. He mixes listening with skill-building and reflection to help people spot patterns and try new ways of coping.
What experience does he bring?
Ian has ten years of experience working in social services and mental health settings. That background means he is used to supporting people with a wide range of life and mental health challenges.
What credentials and location are relevant?
Ian is listed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP. He practises from the United Kingdom.
Which languages and international clients are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and Ian accepts international clients.
How are sessions delivered?
Therapy is available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. Different formats suit different needs and can be chosen when setting up sessions.
What does therapy cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Ian?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. After that you can schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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