Diane Rathfield, BACP

Diane Rathfield is a counsellor who supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship worries and midlife concerns. She also helps with self-esteem, career questions, coping with life changes, addictions and sleep or eating difficulties. Diane holds registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP, and has four years of professional practice alongside many more years of caring experience.

She aims to make the first step into therapy less daunting. Sessions are set up to be open and non-judgemental so people can talk freely. Diane focuses on practical ways to reduce pressure and build small, steady changes that feel manageable.

In the room she listens closely and helps people understand patterns that keep them stuck. From there she and the person work on clear, realistic goals and ways to practise new habits between sessions. The approach is collaborative and paced to the person’s needs.

Diane has worked with people affected by grief, trauma, ADHD, compassion fatigue and long-term health issues. She also offers support around parenting strain, communication problems, abandonment concerns and life transitions such as divorce or ageing issues.

She works in English and is based in the United Kingdom. Sessions use a subscription model which can be cancelled at any time, and prospective clients begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling according to therapist availability.

Approaches that guide online work and practical change

Evidence-based methods guide Diane's work and she focuses on approaches that produce observable shifts. One common approach is short-term goal-focused work that helps people break down large problems into small tasks to practise between sessions; this suits stress, low motivation and life transitions. Another approach she uses centres on understanding patterns in thoughts and behaviours so people can spot repetitive cycles and try new responses; this helps with anxiety, relationship patterns and self-esteem issues.

Deciding which approach to use is collaborative. Diane will talk through what matters most to the person, try an approach for a few sessions and adjust if needed. The choice is shaped by the individual's goals, day-to-day life and how they prefer to work in sessions.

Many people find online therapy helps fit support into a busy routine, such as taking a session during a lunch break or avoiding travel time. Online work can make it easier to keep regular appointments and to practise skills between meetings. Confirm the exact session formats offered before booking to ensure they meet your needs.