Gillian MacmillanNCPS

Gillian Macmillan is a counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with seven years of professional experience and an NCPS credential. She focuses on supporting people through stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, low self-esteem and depression. Gillian aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and steady for anyone feeling overwhelmed.

She creates a calm, non-judgemental space where clients can talk about difficult thoughts and feelings. Conversations are practical and straightforward, with an emphasis on building trust and clear communication. Gillian helps people identify what matters to them and the small steps that move life forward.

Her work covers relationship challenges, intimacy-related issues, parenting pressures and coping with major life changes. She also supports people dealing with anger, sleeping or eating difficulties, career strain, compassion fatigue and ADHD-related concerns. Additional focuses include infidelity, jealousy, postpartum depression, process addictions such as porn, exercise or gambling, and self-harm.

Gillian draws on a mix of approaches to suit individual needs. She uses cognitive techniques to spot unhelpful thinking and skills-based strategies to manage emotion. Sessions also look at attachment patterns and how they shape close relationships.

She describes therapy as a collaborative process. Together with each client she sets goals and works at a pace that feels right. Practical tools and clear communication are central to her approach, so people leave sessions with things they can try between meetings.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice unhelpful thoughts and reconnect with values that matter. It is useful for anxiety, depression and adjusting to life changes by encouraging small, value-led actions. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships affect current patterns and aims to strengthen emotional connection and communication in close relationships. It can help with intimacy-related issues, trust and recurring relationship conflicts.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Gillian will discuss different methods and adapt them as you go. Together you will choose techniques that match your goals, preferences and the issues you want to address, so therapy feels collaborative rather than one-size-fits-all.

If you are considering online sessions, check the available formats before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week and reduce travel time. It can also allow shorter check-ins when life is hectic or phone-only sessions if video is difficult. Confirm the practical session options with the therapist when you arrange a first appointment so you can pick what suits your routine.