About Paula
Paula Smyton is a UK counsellor with around 10 years of experience. She holds BACP accreditation, and has worked across counselling services, education, mental health settings and independent practice. Paula creates a calm, thoughtful space where people can pause and begin to make sense of what they are carrying.
Many people who come to Paula have been coping on the surface while feeling anxious, low in mood, or exhausted by responsibilities.
Background and approach
She often supports those dealing with relationship strain, family challenges, grief, trauma, or major life changes. She also works with people facing issues linked to sleep, eating, anger, self-esteem and career pressures. Her practice is rooted in psychodynamic therapy, which looks at how past experiences and relationship patterns shape present feelings and behaviour.
Paula combines this with person-centred and solution-focused ideas so sessions can be tailored to each person’s needs. She also draws on approaches such as ACT, CBT and DBT where they fit the work. In sessions she aims to offer warmth and non-judgement.
The focus is on listening, helping people name what they are feeling, and thinking together about small, practical steps. Clients do not need clear goals to begin; often the first work is simply making space to reflect. Paula welcomes people from LGBT communities and from elsewhere who want a reflective, compassionate counsellor.
She accepts international clients and works in English. To start, people complete a short questionnaire and then schedule a first appointment according to availability.
What Paula works with
Everything Paula lists, in their own terms. LGBT is the reason Paula is listed here; the rest shows what else Paula works with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
Approaches Paula lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
How Paula’s approaches translate to online therapy
Paula uses psychodynamic ideas and person-centred work to help people understand recurring patterns and emotional responses. Psychodynamic therapy looks at how past relationships and experiences influence current feelings and behaviour, which can help with long-standing anxieties, relationship difficulties and grief. Person-centred therapy focuses on listening and accepting the person as they are, which helps people feel heard and begin to make changes at their own pace.She also draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy when practical tools to change thoughts and behaviours are useful. CBT offers simple strategies to test unhelpful thoughts and try different actions, which can be helpful for anxiety, low mood and sleep problems. Choosing the right mix of approaches is part of the work; the therapist will discuss goals and preferences and together you will decide what feels most useful.
If you are considering online therapy, check the session formats available before booking as the biography does not list them. Many people find remote work easier to fit into a busy day, to have shorter check-ins, or to access support from different locations. The practical aim is to make therapy workable alongside everyday life while keeping the focus on your needs and agreed goals.
Questions people ask about Paula
What kinds of issues does Paula help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family concerns, grief, trauma and abuse, parenting strain, intimacy issues, eating and sleeping problems, anger, low self-esteem, career worries, bipolar and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is warm and reflective. She listens without judgement and helps people make sense of feelings while exploring practical ways to move forward.
What is her background and experience?
She has around ten years of experience working across counselling services, education, mental health settings and independent practice.
What professional credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and works from the United Kingdom.
Which languages are supported and can international clients work with her?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The biography does not specify session formats, so please confirm current session options with the service before booking.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Paula?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to the therapist’s availability.
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