Counsellor profile
Mark Smith, BACP
Counsellor - stress and trauma
See online counselling options- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Trauma-Focused work
About Mark
Counsellor Mark Smith is a BACP member with 12 years' experience working in the United Kingdom. He focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem and depression. He also helps with relationship and family concerns, grief, intimacy-related issues and coping with life changes.
Mark draws on several therapeutic models rather than one fixed method. He works alongside each person to find practical ways forward. Sessions can be more solution focused or more open ended depending on what the client prefers. He says he adapts his approach to suit the issue and the pace someone needs.
In practice he often uses client-centred listening to identify what matters most to the person. He also brings in ideas from cognitive behavioural approaches to address unhelpful thoughts and behaviour. Where trauma is involved he uses trauma-focused methods to help people process difficult experiences.
Mark describes using psychodynamic and existential perspectives at times, for people who want to look at past patterns or make sense of life changes. That can help with issues such as attachment, abandonment or long-standing relationship patterns. He also lists work with first responders, veterans and people affected by domestic or sexual violence.
People choosing to contact him complete a short online questionnaire and then book a first session. He offers counselling in English and does not take international clients. Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How his approaches work in online counselling
Mark often combines client-centred work with cognitive behavioural ideas. Client-centred work means listening carefully and following what the person says matters most. It helps people who need time to talk things through and to be heard without pressure. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on linking thoughts, feelings and actions. It uses practical tasks and small experiments to test different ways of thinking and behaving, which can be useful for anxiety, low mood and some relationship patterns. Trauma-focused work helps people process harmful experiences in a step-by-step way so they feel less driven by past events. This approach can be used alongside other methods when trauma or abuse is an issue. Finding the right combination of methods is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options with the client and decide together which approaches suit the person's goals and preferences. That conversation usually happens in the first few sessions and can be reviewed as work progresses. Confirm the session formats before booking, as specific formats are not listed in the biography. Online counselling can make it easier to fit appointments into a working week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. These practical benefits make it simpler to keep therapy going while managing everyday responsibilities.Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does he commonly help with?
He works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem and depression, plus relationship and family matters and grief.
What style of therapy does he use?
He takes an integrative approach, combining client-centred work with CBT, psychodynamic and trauma-focused ideas depending on the issue.
How much experience does he have?
He has 12 years' experience working as a counsellor and psychotherapist in the United Kingdom.
Which professional body is he a member of?
He is listed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.
In which languages are sessions available?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does he work with international clients?
He does not accept international clients at this time.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin a session with him?
Select the See online counselling options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A membership or registration can be checked on the professional body's own register.
Online counselling is not emergency care. In an emergency call 999, or see the help numbers.