Victoria Porteous, NCPS

Victoria Porteous, NCPS, draws on 11 years of counselling and coaching experience and her own life journey to support people through difficult transitions. She makes sessions conversational and down-to-earth, using humour where appropriate to help people relax and speak openly. Victoria aims to be direct but compassionate and promises a practical, person-centred style rather than clinical formality.

Her approach blends several therapies to suit each person’s needs. Victoria uses acceptance and commitment ideas to help people clarify what matters to them and take small steps towards it. She uses attachment-based thinking when relationships and family patterns are central to the work. Cognitive behavioural tools are used to spot unhelpful thinking and try other ways of responding.

Victoria has experience working with complex trauma survivors and ran counselling services for a Government-backed trauma charity during the COVID period. She has also worked with charity referrals and with individuals from business and sport sectors who have sought coaching and counselling for performance and life issues.

Common concerns she supports include stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, parenting and coping with life changes such as separation or career shifts. She also offers help with body image, codependency, attachment issues and the challenges faced by blended families and step-parents.

Sessions are tailored to the individual’s circumstances and goals. Victoria aims to ask the right questions, challenge unhelpful perspectives when needed, and help people find practical steps to feel more empowered and purposeful.

How her approaches can work well online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice what matters to them and take small steps towards those values while accepting difficult thoughts and feelings. It is useful for anxiety, low motivation and coping with life changes.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current bonds and reactions. It can help when recurring relationship problems or family estrangement are central concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Victoria will discuss different methods and help decide what fits the person’s goals, needs and preferences. This is a collaborative process and the plan can change as progress is made.

If you are considering online sessions, please confirm the exact session formats before booking as formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy around work and family life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also allow people to choose quieter surroundings, use audio-only if bandwidth is limited, or move between devices to suit each session. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt techniques such as ACT and attachment-based work to an online setting to focus on practical steps and relationship patterns without promising specific outcomes.