Dawn Brearley, NCPS

Counsellor and NCPS member with seven years' experience, Dawn Brearley works from the United Kingdom helping people with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, grief and major life changes. She also addresses issues such as self-esteem, addictions, trauma and abuse, intimacy difficulties and compassion fatigue. Dawn uses a range of approaches and aims to match the way she works to each person's concerns.

Dawn practises from a client-centred stance. That means she listens first and helps people make sense of their experiences. She draws on attachment-based ideas to look at relationship patterns and on cognitive behavioural approaches to address thinking and coping habits. Mindfulness and existential ideas are also part of her way of working when they suit the person in front of her.

Sessions focus on what the person wants to change and on practical steps that can be taken between meetings. Dawn can help people talk through loss, conflict, guilt or shame, and the stress that comes with caregiving or major health concerns. She also supports people dealing with family of origin problems, separation, commitment worries and communication difficulties.

The approach is collaborative. Dawn treats the person as the expert on their life and works alongside them to try out different ways of understanding problems. She brings seven years of counselling practice in the UK and a steady, conversational style to sessions.

People planning a first meeting are invited to clarify what they want from counselling and to discuss how different methods might help. Dawn accepts international clients and runs sessions that suit differing needs and circumstances.

Therapeutic approaches used in online counselling