About Alan
Alan Opfer is a counsellor with three years of professional experience based in the United Kingdom. He works with people facing issues such as addiction, anxiety, depression and stress. He also supports those dealing with relationship strain, grief, identity questions including LGBT concerns, and major life changes.
Alan draws on his own lived experience of addiction and recovery to understand how hard seeking help can feel. That background shapes a practical, non-judgemental approach.
Background and approach
Sessions aim to be straightforward and focused on what helps someone move forward day to day. He uses person-centred ideas to shape therapy around each person’s needs. That means listening carefully and helping people identify their own goals.
Mindfulness techniques are used to build awareness and calm. Solution-focused work helps people find clear steps to tackle problems faster. Alan has worked with people before and after detoxification and on harm-reduction and controlled-use plans.
He has also spent time as a housing support worker and has experience of multi-disciplinary community supports. Those roles inform how he thinks about practical life issues alongside emotional work. Sessions are delivered in English.
People who choose to begin therapy are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule according to the therapist’s availability. The counsellor uses a subscription model for payments that can be cancelled at any time.
What Alan works with
Everything Alan lists, in their own terms. LGBT is the reason Alan is listed here; the rest shows what else Alan works with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Phobias
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Alan lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
How his approaches work in online counselling
Alan uses person-centred (client-centred) work to place the client’s priorities at the heart of therapy. This approach means the counsellor listens closely and helps people choose goals that matter to them, whether that is reducing drinking, easing anxiety or rebuilding confidence.Mindfulness is offered as a practical skill to build present-moment awareness and reduce stress. Simple exercises and breath work can help with anxiety, overwhelm and mood management in day-to-day life.
Solution-focused techniques concentrate on small, achievable steps. The emphasis is on identifying what has worked before and doing more of it, so progress can happen between sessions.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work together. The counsellor will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and preferences, and adjust plans as progress is made.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Many people find online sessions helpful because they can fit therapy around work and family routines, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins on busy days. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt exercises for remote sessions so practical skills and solution-focused steps are still workable online.
Questions people ask about Alan
What concerns does this counsellor help with?
Alan helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction and related issues such as grief, relationship strain and coping with life changes. He also supports people with LGBT concerns and a range of attachment and personality related difficulties.
What is the style of therapy like?
Therapy is practical and person-centred, with a focus on listening and helping clients set their own goals. Mindfulness skills and solution-focused steps are used when helpful.
What background does the counsellor bring?
He has three years of professional experience and lived experience of addiction and recovery, which informs a practical, non-judgemental way of working.
What credentials and location are listed?
Alan holds BACP and practices in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the UK work with this counsellor?
He does not accept international clients at this time.
How are payments and costs handled?
Sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time and costs vary with location and therapist availability.
How do I begin therapy with him?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.
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