Richard Whitenstall, BACP

Counsellor Richard Whitenstall is a BACP member with 11 years' experience. He works in the United Kingdom and supports people with anxiety, depression, loss, relationship and intimacy issues, stress, addictions and identity concerns including LGBT and gender dysphoria.

Richard trained and began placements in 2013 at charities including No Limits and Cruse. He later set up a counselling service for Positive21 in London and has worked with LGBT young people at risk of exploitation, domestic abuse and neglect. He also co-authored a book on men’s mental health with proceeds donated to Mind.

Richard uses a client-centred way of working. Sessions focus on what each person wants to change. He works at the client’s pace and helps build simple, practical plans for next steps.

He also draws on cognitive behavioural ideas to help people spot and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Solution-focused methods are used when clients want short-term, goal-orientated work to tackle specific problems.

His experience includes supporting people with trauma and abuse, chronic pain or illness, process addictions, communication problems and issues around non-monogamy and kink culture. He has run services in community settings and used that experience to shape how he works today.

Richard produces and co-hosts a podcast on mental health. People looking to begin can expect clear explanations of how sessions will run and practical suggestions to try between meetings.

Therapeutic approaches used in online counselling