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About Gillian
Gillian Macmillan helps people with stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, self-esteem and depression using a range of practical talking approaches. She works with clients on relationship difficulties, intimacy concerns, parenting strain and problems with eating, sleeping and anger. She is registered with NCPS and has seven years of professional experience in the United Kingdom.
Gillian creates a direct, open environment where thoughts and feelings can be spoken about without judgement. She encourages clear communication and practical skills rather than long explanations. Sessions focus on what is causing difficulty now and on small, workable steps to change day-to-day patterns.
Her work includes addressing process addictions such as problematic porn use, exercise or gambling, and issues linked to infidelity, jealousy and postpartum depression. She also supports people dealing with trauma and abuse, compassion fatigue, ADHD-related challenges and self-harm thoughts, helping them manage overwhelming moments and rebuild routines.
Gillian uses a mix of approaches to match what each person needs. Techniques drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) are blended with attachment-aware and client-centred ways of working. This means she combines practical skills training with attention to relationships and personal values.
Sessions typically look at current patterns, coping skills and communication. Gillian offers coaching-style guidance when clients want clearer goals and steps. She aims to make sessions practical and focused on changes that fit everyday life.
How her approaches work in online counselling
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and reconnect with the values that matter to them. It often focuses on small actions that match what a person cares about, which can help with anxiety and motivation. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers concrete exercises to change patterns that keep problems going; it is commonly used for depression, anxiety and sleep issues. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) teaches practical emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance skills, which can be useful for strong emotions, self-harm thoughts and problems with impulsive behaviour.
Finding the right approach is part of beginning work together. The counsellor will talk with the client about goals, preferences and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they decide which methods to try and review progress as sessions continue.
If you are considering online sessions, check the current session options before booking as the biography does not list specific formats. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy week, reduce travel time and offer quicker follow-ups between sessions. Some formats are better for shorter check-ins while others suit longer therapeutic work, so the practical choice is based on your schedule and how you prefer to connect.
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Topics Gillian lists
Ways of working
Questions about Gillian
- Does she work with anxiety?
- Yes. Anxiety and stress are listed areas of focus and are addressed through practical skills and talking approaches.
- What kind of counselling does she offer?
- She blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy with attachment-aware and client-centred methods.
- How much experience does she have?
- She has seven years of professional experience in the United Kingdom.
- Where is she based and registered?
- She practices in the United Kingdom and is registered with NCPS.
- Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
- International clients are accepted; sessions are conducted in English.
- What session formats does she offer?
- The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking.
- How much do sessions cost?
- Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
- How do I get started with her?
- Use the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
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This page is based on Gillian's public BetterHelp listing and is not written by Gillian. It is not a recommendation. If anything here is wrong, tell us and we will correct it.