Valerie Harmer, BACP

Valerie Harmer is a solution-focused therapist who helps people understand why they feel stuck and what patterns may be maintaining their difficulties. She works collaboratively to identify practical changes that can break unhelpful cycles of behaviour and support movement toward clearer goals and better day-to-day functioning. Valerie listens without judgement, asks probing questions to map the different elements of a problem, and offers respectful feedback and guidance to help clients make meaningful progress.

She works with both individuals and couples on a wide range of relationship and emotional challenges, including anxiety, low self esteem, anger, obsessive compulsive behaviours, phobias, depression, bereavement and relationship difficulties. Her approach is pragmatic and change focused, and she offers both brief and longer term therapy depending on a client’s goals. Valerie draws on solution-focused methods alongside evidence-informed techniques such as behavioural activation and cognitive behavioural ideas, and she has trained in solution-focused hypnotherapy.

Valerie studied Counselling and CBT Psychotherapy to postgraduate level at the University of South Wales, completed a Diploma in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy at the Clifton Practice in Bristol, and trained as a bereavement counsellor with CRUSE. She has practised for nine years and is a member of the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - which sets professional standards for counselling and psychotherapy. As a BACP member she follows their code of conduct, receives regular supervision and keeps her professional development up to date.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Therapy Options

Valerie uses solution-focused methods to help clients identify practical steps toward change, concentrating on strengths, exceptions to problems and small achievable goals that move daily life forward. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - or CBT - is used to explore how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact, offering structured tools for anxiety, low mood and unhelpful coping patterns. Mindfulness therapy supports noticing thoughts and bodily experience with gentle awareness, which can help reduce reactivity and build coping in moments of stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Valerie works collaboratively with each person to agree which methods best suit their needs, goals and preferences, adjusting the plan as therapy progresses to ensure it remains relevant and practical.

Online therapy via video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging makes scheduling more flexible and easier to fit around work, family and daily routines. These options allow regular contact, timely support between sessions and access to a registered professional from home or work, offering a practical route to consistent therapy without compromising quality.