Paula Otley, BACP, NCPS - Therapist in United Kingdom

Attachment based work
Client centred approach
Cognitive behavioural tools

About Paula

Paula Otley is a counsellor registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, with 16 years of experience supporting people through loss and life changes. She works with a wide range of concerns including anger, stress, anxiety, grief and relationship problems. Paula meets clients from varied backgrounds and focuses on building a reliable working relationship to address the issues they bring.

Her experience began in bereavement support, where she spent many years sitting with people in difficult moments. That early work shaped her interest in relational ways of working. She later trained as an integrative counsellor with an emphasis on client-centred and psychodynamic perspectives, and she added cognitive behavioural skills in 2020 to broaden what she can offer.

In practice Paula combines listening with practical techniques. Sessions often look at patterns from earlier relationships and how those affect current feelings and reactions. She also uses thought-focused strategies when unhelpful thinking or behaviour patterns are getting in the way of daily life.

Paula has worked across GP practices, NHS settings, charities, community counselling services, private practice and employee assistance programmes. That variety informs a flexible style that aims to be straightforward and useful. She describes the work as collaborative and says clients and therapist plan the approach together.

Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted. The subscription-based session model can be cancelled at any time. To begin, readers are asked to use the site button to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.

How her approaches translate to online work

Attachment-based work looks at how past relationships shape current reactions. It helps when long-standing patterns make anger or distance feel familiar rather than chosen. Client-centred therapy focuses on the person in front of the counsellor, offering attentive listening and reflection to help people find their own solutions. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) identifies unhelpful thoughts and habits and gives clear steps to change how someone thinks and acts in stressful moments.

Finding the right mix of these approaches is part of the process. Paula discusses goals and preferences with each person and together they decide which methods to try. That collaborative planning helps keep sessions practical and aligned with what the client needs to work on first.

The practical benefits of online work can include fitting sessions into a busy week and avoiding travel time, which often makes it easier to keep regular appointments. Confirm the specific session formats available before booking, as the profile does not list formats here. In conversation Paula will explain which ways of meeting suit particular aims, for example shorter check-ins for brief problem-solving or longer sessions for exploring deeper relationship patterns.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGrief Self esteem Depression

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changes Compassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stress Chronic pain, illness, and disability CodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problems Control issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separation Domestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgiveness Guilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivity InfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / loneliness JealousyLife purposeMen's issues Midlife crisis Money and financial issues Mood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPhobiasPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

16+ years

Listed in

United Kingdom

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she help with?

She works with anger alongside stress, anxiety, grief, relationship issues and several other concerns listed on her profile.

What is her general style in sessions?

Her style is relational and practical, combining listening with techniques that address thoughts and patterns.

How long has she been practising?

She has 16 years of experience, beginning with extensive bereavement support work and moving into counselling roles.

What credentials does she hold and where is she based?

She is registered with BACP and NCPS and practises from the United Kingdom.

Which languages are available for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the UK work with her?

Yes, international clients are accepted.

How are sessions arranged and what do they cost?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin if I want to work together?

Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.