Cathleen Brentnall, BACP

Cathleen Brentnall is a BACP-registered therapist based in the United Kingdom who offers compassionate, practical support for a wide range of life challenges. With ten years of professional experience, she works with individuals and couples to address relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, parenting concerns, self-esteem, career and stress management, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, grief, eating and sleeping problems, anger, and coping with life changes. Her practice also attends to areas such as ADHD, compassion fatigue, and coaching needs, alongside additional focuses including abandonment, aging and geriatric issues, autism and Asperger syndrome, body image, cancer-related concerns, caregiver stress, chronic pain and illness, codependency, communication problems, divorce and separation, and feelings of emptiness.

Cathleen draws on a range of evidence-informed approaches - including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and EMDR - tailoring techniques to each person’s learning style and goals. She emphasizes collaboration, helping clients explore their strengths, values, and practical strategies for organizing life, making decisions, and conserving energy. Sessions are offered through video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging, and she accepts international clients. Cathleen aims to create a respectful, sensitive, and supportive virtual space where clients can work toward clearer priorities and achievable steps for change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most to them and build practical skills to move toward those values, even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present. It is often used for anxiety, stress, low mood, and life transitions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and adjusting unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors. It offers concrete tools for managing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress and for improving day-to-day functioning.

EMDR is a trauma-informed approach that supports the processing of distressing memories and their emotional impact. It can be helpful for people working through traumatic experiences or persistent distress linked to past events.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey, and Cathleen works collaboratively with clients to decide which methods best match their needs, goals, and personal preferences. This collaborative process helps shape a tailored plan that evolves as progress is made.

Online therapy provides practical flexibility - sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to fit support into busy lives, access therapists from different locations, and maintain continuity of care despite scheduling or travel constraints.