Counsellor profile
Paula Otley, BACP, NCPS
Counsellor for grief and anxiety
See online counselling options- Person-centred work
- Psychodynamic approach
- CBT skills
About Paula
Counsellor Paula Otley is a member of the BACP and NCPS with 16 years' experience. She works with people in the United Kingdom on concerns such as grief, anxiety, depression, stress, relationships and self-esteem.
Paula began supporting people as a bereavement volunteer. That work shaped her decision to train as an integrative counsellor. She trained in person-centred and psychodynamic approaches and later added cognitive behavioural therapy to her way of working.
She approaches sessions from a relational perspective. Paula aims to build a reliable counselling relationship and then work alongside the person to address what matters to them. Sessions focus on understanding current difficulties and trying practical ways to cope when needed.
Her experience includes work in GP practice, NHS settings, charities, community counselling services, private practice and employee assistance programmes. That range gives familiarity with different kinds of concerns and referral paths.
Paula works with a wide set of issues including bereavement and loss, trauma and abuse, addiction, eating and sleeping difficulties, caregiving strain, ADHD-related struggles, intimacy and attachment concerns, and career and life change challenges. She also helps with anger, parenting stress, body image and long-term illness and pain.
Sessions are carried out in English. International clients may be accepted; check the service steps before booking. If someone wants to start, they are invited to use the online counselling options and complete the matching questionnaire to schedule a first session.
Approaches used in online counselling
Paula combines person-centred work with psychodynamic thinking. Person-centred work focuses on listening and helping people clarify their own thoughts and feelings. Psychodynamic ideas look at patterns from past relationships and how they affect current feelings and behaviour.She also uses cognitive behavioural therapy techniques when helpful. CBT offers practical ways to notice and change unhelpful thoughts and routines, useful for anxiety, low mood and sleep problems.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Paula will talk with the person about their needs, goals and preferences and agree a way of working together. That decision is collaborative and can be reviewed as therapy proceeds.
Confirm the exact online session formats before booking. The profile asks you to check the service steps to see which session types are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling into daily life - for example they can reduce travel time, make short check-ins possible between other commitments, or avoid the need to be on camera if that helps. Registered or accredited professionals can offer these flexible arrangements to help sessions fit around work and family life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
16+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly help with?
She works with grief, anxiety, depression, stress and relationship issues, among many other concerns including addiction, eating and sleeping problems, and caregiving stress.
What style of therapy does she use?
Her work is integrative. She uses person-centred and psychodynamic ways of working and includes cognitive behavioural techniques when helpful.
How much experience does she have?
Paula has 16 years of experience, including long-term bereavement support and work across NHS, GP, charity and private settings.
Which professional bodies is she listed with?
She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are accepted.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking; the profile asks you to check the online counselling options and the matching steps to see how Paula runs sessions.
How does the subscription and cost work?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time; check the service details for exact pricing.
What do I need to do to start?
Select the See online counselling options button, complete the short matching questionnaire and then 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.