Nicola Demetriou, BACP

Nicola Demetriou is a BACP-registered counsellor who chose this profession after experiencing her own bereavement and seeing the positive change counselling brought to her life. She retrained from a teaching career into counselling and over seven years has worked across bereavement services, community charities, GP surgery settings and social services to support people facing a wide range of difficulties.

Nicola practises in an integrative way, drawing on client-centred, narrative and psychodynamic approaches to tailor work to each person. She offers a warm and gentle space where the therapeutic relationship is central, and she supports clients to explore the past, present and future, identify recurring patterns of thought and behaviour, and set achievable goals in six-session blocks.

Areas Nicola commonly addresses include stress and anxiety, relationship and family problems, grief and bereavement, depression, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, career issues, coping with life changes and ADHD, along with related concerns such as attachment difficulties, divorce and separation, social anxiety, and women’s issues. Her practice can include exploring negative thoughts, relaxation and breathing exercises, communication techniques and reflective dialogue to help clients develop new perspectives and greater self-understanding.

When working with someone new, Nicola begins with an assessment to clarify reasons for counselling and therapy goals, then offers regular weekly sessions or fortnightly appointments as needed, with a review every six sessions to agree next steps. BACP refers to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the professional association with which she is registered.

Therapeutic approaches and online support with Nicola

Nicola integrates several established approaches to tailor therapy to each person. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on building a respectful, empathetic relationship where the client’s own insights guide change - it is helpful for self-esteem, life transitions and relationship difficulties. Narrative Therapy invites clients to examine the stories they tell about themselves and to re-author those narratives, which can be useful for identity work, trauma recovery and shifting unhelpful patterns. Psychodynamic Therapy explores how past experiences and unconscious patterns influence current feelings and behaviour, offering depth work for longstanding issues like attachment difficulties and relationship repeat patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process and Nicola works collaboratively with clients to identify what fits best. She discusses goals, preferences and responses to different techniques, adjusting the focus as understanding grows so the work remains practical and relevant to each person’s needs.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to provide flexibility around work, family and location. These options make it easier to maintain regular appointments, manage scheduling, and access support from home or elsewhere while working with a registered professional experienced in adapting therapeutic approaches to remote formats.