Vanessa Higgins, BACP

Vanessa uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that aim to make thinking and feeling patterns clearer and more manageable. Cognitive behavioural methods focus on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behaviour changes to reduce anxiety and low mood. Person-centred ideas emphasise listening, validation and working at a pace chosen by the person to build self-trust and emotional understanding. Finding the right approach is a shared process. Vanessa will discuss what feels most relevant and try different ways of working until something fits. Goals, preferences and day-to-day realities guide the plan, and adjustments are made together as therapy progresses. Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual contact helps, while phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be a good shorter check-in. Live chat and text-based messaging suit people who prefer writing or need flexible, ongoing contact between scheduled sessions. These options give practical flexibility so therapy can happen around work, family and health needs rather than forcing big schedule changes.