Counsellor profile
Valerie Long, BACP
Counsellor - Relationships and family
See online counselling options- Person centred
- Depression support
- Trauma and PTSD
About Valerie
Counsellor Valerie Long is a BACP member working in the United Kingdom with nine years' experience. She helps people who are dealing with relationship strain, family problems, trauma and abuse, depression and major life changes.
Valerie works using a person-centred approach. She treats each person as the expert in their own life and follows the client’s lead in sessions. Conversations focus on self-exploration, reflection and building on existing strengths. Sessions move at a steady, unhurried pace and aim to increase understanding of what is causing distress.
In practice Valerie listens without judgement and encourages clients to notice patterns that affect their mood and relationships. She supports people who are coping with communication problems, control issues, divorce and separation, and feelings such as guilt, shame or isolation. She also works with panic, post-traumatic stress and social anxiety.
Her way of working is gentle and paced to each person. Clients can expect practical conversation, space to reflect and steps towards clearer thinking about choices and relationships. The focus is on helping people find ways to manage day-to-day difficulties and to feel more confident in their decisions.
Valerie’s experience includes nine years of client work and accredited membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, abbreviated BACP. Sessions are conducted in English and she works from the United Kingdom.
Approaches used in online counselling and how they help
Person-centred counselling focuses on the person rather than the problem. It involves listening, reflecting back what is said and helping people notice their own strengths. This approach can help with relationship issues, low mood and sorting through life changes.Valerie also uses practical conversation to help with anxiety and trauma-related responses. That means talking through what happens in stressful moments, noticing triggers and thinking about manageable steps people can try between sessions. It can be useful for panic attacks, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options with the client, try methods that fit the concern and adapt the way of working as needs and goals become clearer. This is a collaborative process and the client’s preferences are taken into account.
Confirm the exact session formats before booking, as the biography does not specify them. Online counselling can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow for shorter check-ins if that suits a person's schedule. Those practical benefits can help people keep therapy part of everyday life without changing other commitments.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
9+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does she commonly address?
Valerie supports people with relationship problems, family conflict, trauma and abuse, depression and coping with life changes.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She uses a person-centred way of working, following the client’s lead and focusing on self-exploration and reflection.
How much experience does she have?
She has nine years of professional experience working with people in counselling settings.
Which professional body is she a member of?
She is an accredited counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.
Are sessions offered in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the UK work with her?
She is based in the United Kingdom and is not currently accepting international clients.
How are sessions arranged and paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
What should I do to begin?
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.