Deborah Smith

• Addictions
• Trauma-focused work
• Mindfulness

About Deborah

Deborah Smith helps people work through addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and parenting concerns using a person-focused way of working. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and has 11 years of professional experience.

She starts by listening to each person's story and recognising their strengths. Sessions focus on what the person wants to change and build on practical steps they can try between meetings. Deborah uses a client-centred style so the person’s priorities shape the work together.

Deborah also draws on attachment-based ideas to look at how earlier relationships affect current patterns. This can help when people notice repeated difficulties in closeness, trust or boundaries. For those who have experienced trauma she uses trauma-focused approaches that aim to reduce the hold of painful memories and responses.

Mindfulness techniques are offered to help manage stress, anxiety and urges linked to addictions. These are simple exercises to practise in daily life, not technical routines, and they are introduced at a pace that suits the person.

Her experience includes working with issues such as grief, body image and eating concerns, codependency, domestic violence, separation and problems linked to military service. Deborah works in English and is based in the United Kingdom.

To begin, people are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session. Costs vary with location and sessions are arranged via a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

Therapeutic approaches and online working

Deborah uses client-centred counselling to place the person’s own concerns and choices at the centre of sessions; this approach focuses on listening, reflection and working at a pace set by the client. Attachment-based ideas are used to look at how early relationships shape current patterns, which can help with repeated problems in trust, closeness or boundary-setting.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Deborah will talk through the options, check what feels useful and agree a plan based on the person’s needs, goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process rather than a fixed prescription.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people use quieter surroundings, switch off video when preferred, or pick times that suit work and family life.

Topics Deborah lists

• Addictions
• Relationship issues
• Trauma and abuse
• Parenting issues
• Depression
• Stress and anxiety
• LGBT
• Family conflicts
• Grief
• Eating disorders
• Abandonment
• Antisocial personality
• Attachment issues
• Body image
• Codependency
• Control issues
• Dissociation
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Emptiness
• Fatherhood issues
• Guilt and shame
• Veteran and armed forces issues
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Personality disorders
• Phobias
• Postpartum depression
• Post-traumatic stress
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Process addictions
• Self-harm
• Self-love
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Social anxiety and phobia

Ways of working

• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Client-Centred Therapy
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Questions about Deborah

Does she work with addiction?

Yes. She helps people with drug and alcohol addiction and related addictive behaviours.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She uses client-centred counselling alongside attachment-based and trauma-focused approaches.

How much experience does she have?

She has 11 years of professional experience working in counselling and related support roles.

Is she registered with a professional body in the UK?

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

Can I have sessions in another language?

Sessions are offered in English.

How much do sessions cost?

Costs vary with location and sessions are supplied through a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I get started with her counselling?

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