Richard Schafer, BACP

Richard Schafer is a professionally trained registered counsellor and a long-term member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the UK professional body for counsellors. Based in Clapham, SW4 in the United Kingdom, he has built a practice that combines formal training with extensive practical experience.

He qualified in 2003 as a psychodynamic counsellor and moved into private practice in 2004. Over more than two decades in the field he has worked in a range of settings, including more than 12 years as a clinical lead within statutory sector therapeutic residential services. Those roles have informed his clinical judgement and his understanding of how therapeutic approaches work in real life.

Richard works from an integrative model, bringing together psychodynamic and person-centred principles so he can tailor interventions to each person or couple. This flexibility reflects his view that different people need different strategies at different times in therapy. He offers both individual and couple counselling and draws on his professional and personal experience to support people dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, self-esteem concerns and life transitions.

He adheres to the BACP code of conduct and ethics and applies those professional standards to his practice, aiming to provide thoughtful, experienced support for those seeking change.

Integrative Approaches and Online Support

Richard Schafer commonly draws on psychodynamic and person-centred approaches in his work. Psychodynamic therapy explores patterns from past relationships and early experiences to help uncover how those patterns influence present feelings and behaviour - it can be useful for issues such as attachment difficulties, persistent relationship problems and feelings of emptiness. Person-centred therapy emphasises a non-directive, empathetic relationship in which the therapist offers understanding and acceptance to support self-awareness and personal growth - this approach often helps with stress, low self-esteem and coping with life changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Richard works collaboratively with each person or couple to identify which methods fit best with their needs, goals and preferences, and he adapts methods over time as progress and circumstances evolve.

Online therapy with Richard is offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging, providing practical flexibility for people with busy schedules or who live far from traditional clinics. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and access support from home or while travelling, while still working with registered professionals and therapists who tailor the work to each individual.