Catherine Thomson

• Sand tray therapy
• Vision boards
• Mindfulness

About Catherine

Catherine Thomson helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, relationships, grief, self-esteem and changes in life. She works in a person-centred way and uses creative and solution-focused tools. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has five years' experience.

Catherine, who asks to be called Kate, offers practical ways to manage difficult feelings. She uses techniques such as sand tray work, letter writing, vision boards and mindfulness alongside conversation. These tools aim to make thoughts and emotions easier to understand and act on.

Her practice covers a broad range of concerns including addictions, trauma and abuse, intimacy issues, sleep problems, parenting and career pressures. She also supports people dealing with bipolar, depression, ADHD and compassion fatigue, and addresses attachment and abandonment issues.

Kate has worked for charities such as Mind and Action for Carers, and in the private sector with BUPA and in private practice. Her background includes running businesses and school parent leadership, which she says informs a practical, down-to-earth style.

Sessions are described as non-judgemental and professional. Catherine aims to help people control negative thoughts and behaviours, manage feelings, reduce anxiety, set goals and assert boundaries. She guides and supports while leaving choices in the client's hands.

Her approach is flexible to each person’s needs. She uses psychoeducation, narrative and play techniques when helpful, and focuses on clear, workable steps to help people move forward with more confidence.

How Catherine uses therapeutic approaches online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values; it is often used for anxiety, stress and feeling stuck. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships affect current patterns and can help with abandonment, attachment and relationship issues. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person's own experience, offering a respectful, non-directive way to talk through concerns such as grief, self-esteem and family problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Catherine will discuss options with the client and make decisions together based on needs, goals and preferences. That collaborative planning helps match practical techniques to what a person wants to change.

Confirm the available session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed and avoid travel time. They can also make it simpler to continue continuity of care when someone is away from home. Registered or accredited professionals and therapists commonly use these ways of working to keep therapy practical and usable in everyday life.

Topics Catherine lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Grief
• Self-esteem
• Coping with life changes
• Addictions
• LGBT
• Family conflicts
• Trauma and abuse
• Intimacy-related issues
• Sleeping disorders
• Parenting issues
• Anger management
• Career difficulties
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Abandonment
• Attachment issues
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Avoidant personality
• Blended family issues
• Body image
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Chronic pain, illness, and disability
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Control issues
• Dependent personality
• Divorce and separation
• Eating and food-related issues
• Family problems
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• Hoarding
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Midlife crisis
• Mood disorders
• Multicultural concerns
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Self-love
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues

Ways of working

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Existential Therapy
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Internal Family Systems

Questions about Catherine

Does she work with anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety is listed among the concerns she helps people with, alongside stress and sleeping problems.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She works in a person-centred way and combines creative and solution-focused tools with approaches such as ACT, CBT and DBT.

What experience does she have?

She has five years' experience and has worked for Mind, Action for Carers, BUPA and in private practice.

Is she a member of a professional body and where is she based?

She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is based in the United Kingdom.

Does she offer sessions in other languages?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can international clients work with her?

Yes. She accepts international clients.

How much do sessions cost?

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

How do I start a first session?

Select the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.