- Client-centred therapy
- Life purpose focus
- Relationship concerns
About Rachel
Rachel Smitheman is a BACP-registered counsellor who qualified in the UK in 2020 and has five years of professional experience. She works with adults on concerns such as stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and coping with life changes. Rachel also pays attention to life purpose questions that come up around career or major transitions.
Her practice is rooted in client-centred therapy. Sessions focus on what matters to the person in front of her. Conversations move at a practical pace. Rachel listens for patterns around attachment, abandonment and communication that affect relationships and daily life.
She supports people dealing with chronic pain, illness and disability, and those carrying caregiver strain. She also helps people navigate divorce, separation and the fallout from impulsive choices. Body image, guilt, shame and forgiveness are common themes she talks through with clients.
Rachel offers straightforward, person-focused work on mood disorders and isolation or loneliness. She attends to both immediate coping skills and longer-term questions about meaning and direction. Sessions look at what is getting in the way of making choices people feel okay about.
Her approach is conversational and paced to each person. Rachel invites honest talk about control issues, communication problems and midlife transitions. She works with people who want clear, practical steps as well as those who need time to sort through complex feelings.
How Rachel’s client-centred approach works online
Client-centred therapy focuses on the person’s own priorities. The counsellor listens without directing the conversation and reflects back what matters most. This approach suits issues like low self-esteem, anxiety and relationship concerns where people need space to clarify their own values and choices.Rachel also pays attention to attachment and abandonment themes within a client-centred framework. That means exploring how past relationship patterns shape current choices and reactions. It can help with communication problems, midlife transitions and questions about life purpose by linking feelings to everyday decisions.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Rachel will help clients decide which methods fit their needs, goals and preferences. She treats this as a collaborative process and adjusts how sessions are run based on what the person finds most helpful.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm the current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling around work, caregiving or health constraints. It can also allow shorter check-ins when time is tight, or let people choose not to use video if they prefer less bandwidth or a quieter setting.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
Rachel works with stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem and coping with life changes. She also helps with relationship and communication problems and life purpose questions.
How would she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
She uses client-centred therapy, listening to what matters most and helping people map options. Sessions combine open conversation with practical steps for daily life.
How much experience does she have?
Rachel qualified in the UK in 2020 and has five years of professional experience working with adults and young people.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is BACP registered and practises in the United Kingdom.
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Sessions are offered to international clients and are conducted in English.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified in the biography.
How are sessions paid for and what does it 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 See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.