Paula CliftonBACP

Paula Clifton is a counsellor who focuses on pregnancy and childbirth-related concerns alongside general life stresses. She works with people feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, grief, sleep problems and major life changes. Paula uses a calm, down-to-earth approach to help clients taking those first steps towards support.

Paula draws on three years of professional experience in the United Kingdom and holds BACP registration, which she keeps visible as part of her professional identity. She aims to make sessions feel approachable, with no jargon and a clear focus on what matters most to each person.

In sessions she creates space for people to talk through difficult feelings. Conversations centre on what the client wants to address, from coping with loss to improving sleep and managing day-to-day stress. Paula keeps things practical and straightforward, helping people notice small steps that can make a difference.

Her work also covers relationship and intimacy-related issues, parenting strains and career-related stress. Paula can support people dealing with trauma, body image concerns, eating and chronic illness. She explains techniques so clients can try them between sessions and notice what helps.

Paula encourages anyone feeling unsure about starting therapy to recognise that asking for help is a positive move. She aims to be warm and non-judgemental, meeting each person where they are and working at a pace that feels right for them.

How Paula's approaches can work online

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding what matters most to the client. The counsellor creates a non-judgemental space and follows the person's lead to build goals and direction. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour and offers practical exercises that people can try between sessions to manage anxiety, sleep problems and mood. Hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation and focused attention to help people change unhelpful patterns and cope with issues like stress or sleep difficulties.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Paula will discuss what feels useful and try different tools together until the client and therapist find a good fit. This is a collaborative process based on the person's needs, goals and preferences rather than a fixed plan.

Confirm the current session formats before booking, as the biography does not list them. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time and allow for shorter check-ins when schedules demand. It can also be quieter to talk from a familiar spot and make it easier to practise CBT exercises between meetings. Registered or accredited professionals can use these ways of working to keep therapy practical and focused on everyday improvements.