Paula Otley, BACP, NCPS
Paula Otley is a counsellor with 16 years of experience who aims to help people facing stress, anxiety, grief and relationship concerns.
About Paula
Paula Otley is a counsellor with 16 years of experience who aims to help people facing stress, anxiety, grief and relationship concerns. She offers straightforward support for issues like low self-esteem, depression, addiction, trauma and questions about intimacy. Paula welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and works with individual needs in mind.
She started her helping work as a bereavement support volunteer and spent many years sitting with people during very hard times.
Background and approach
That experience shaped her decision to train in counselling and focus on relational ways of working. Paula trained as an integrative counsellor, combining person-centred and psychodynamic ideas to shape each conversation. In 2020 she added cognitive behavioural therapy, which brought practical tools for unpicking difficult thoughts and behaviours.
Paula blends this with mindfulness techniques to help clients notice patterns and build small, manageable changes. Her aim is to match approaches to what each person finds useful. Paula has worked in a range of settings including GP practice, the NHS, charities, community counselling services, independent practice and employee assistance programmes.
She is listed with BACP and also holds NCPS as a credential. She accepts clients in the United Kingdom and from other countries when appropriate. Sessions are delivered online by video call, phone, live chat or messaging.
Paula describes therapy as a collaborative process where the work is done together, and she helps people decide what feels most helpful as therapy progresses.
Details from the counsellor's public professional profile · registration number listed
← Browse all counsellorsRegistration
| Body | Registration number | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| BACP | 381077 | April 2026 |
| NCPS | NCS21-02334 | December 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 Paula lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- 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
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Ways of working Paula names
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor lists and does not check training records.
How Paula's approaches translate to online therapy
Paula uses attachment-based thinking to look at how early relationships shape current patterns. This helps when people struggle with trust, closeness or repeated relationship difficulties and gives a way to talk about long-standing themes.She also draws on cognitive behavioural therapy to offer clear, practical steps for changing unhelpful thinking and behaviour. CBT is useful for anxiety, low mood and managing stress because it breaks problems into manageable parts and tests new approaches.
Finding the right therapy approach is part of the work. Paula will talk with each person about their needs and goals and try methods that fit their preferences. The plan can change over time as things evolve and as people learn what helps them most.
Online sessions make those conversations easier to fit into busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face discussion and reading of non-verbal cues, phone sessions can be used when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or messaging can suit shorter check-ins or people who prefer writing. These options give flexibility for appointments across different time zones and life demands, while keeping the focus on progressing the therapeutic goals.
Frequently asked
What kinds of concerns can Paula help with?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, grief, depression and relationship issues, as well as trauma, addictions and self-esteem concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Paula combines person-centred listening with psychodynamic reflection and practical cognitive behavioural techniques to suit each person.
How long has she been practising?
She has around 16 years of experience, including many years as a bereavement support volunteer and work in clinical and community settings.
Which professional registrations does she hold?
Her listed credentials are BACP and NCPS and she works within the United Kingdom.
Can I work with her if I'm outside the UK?
International clients are accepted and sessions can be arranged for people outside the United Kingdom.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are sessions paid for and how much do they cost?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Paula?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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