Valerie Harmer, BACP

Valerie Harmer is a BACP counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain and midlife crisis concerns. She supports people dealing with grief, low self-esteem, anger, obsessive thoughts, and life changes. Valerie also works with issues around ADHD, parenting pressures, career worries and problems linked to family of origin.

Her style is practical and collaborative. Sessions focus on identifying what keeps problems going and finding small, manageable changes that make a difference. Valerie asks questions, listens closely and offers respectful feedback and guidance rather than quick fixes.

Valerie has nine years of clinical study and practice. She studied counselling and CBT psychotherapy to postgraduate level at the University of South Wales. She also completed a Diploma in Solution Focused Hypnotherapy and training as a bereavement counsellor with CRUSE.

Her approach combines elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy and Solution-Focused work. This mix lets her offer both shorter-term, goal-focused work and longer-term support depending on a person’s goals.

As a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) she follows their code of conduct and takes regular supervision. That background shapes how she plans sessions and keeps learning to improve her practice.

How Valerie’s approaches work online

Valerie draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Solution-Focused methods alongside mindfulness practices. CBT looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions interact and helps people test and change unhelpful thinking patterns to reduce anxiety or low mood. Solution-Focused work concentrates on practical steps and small changes that move a person towards their goals rather than dwelling on the past. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing skills to help manage stress and reactivity.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Valerie discusses a person’s goals, preferences and what has or has not helped before. She then suggests starting points and adapts techniques over time so the process feels collaborative and tailored to individual needs.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking. Many people find online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, remove travel time and allow shorter or more regular check-ins when needed. Others appreciate doing focused exercises or mindful practices during a break from work. Discussing practical arrangements during the initial match helps make sessions useful and manageable.