Directory entry

Catherine Hirst, BACP

Credentials: BACP
Experience: 3 years
Practising in: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Sessions: Online only
Client ages: Adults, 18 and over

Works with Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changes

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Catherine Hirst is a counsellor who centres her work on empathy and understanding. She trained in the Person-Centred approach and brings a warm, approachable manner to sessions. Catherine has three years of practice and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP.

She offers a calm space where people can talk about anxiety, stress, low self-esteem and life changes. Catherine believes that being understood matters. That belief shapes how she listens and responds during conversations.

Background and approach

Her own life experiences inform her desire to support others through difficult periods. She aims to help people build coping skills and grow more resilient. Sessions focus on what each person needs in the moment rather than a fixed method.

Catherine works in an integrative way, drawing on person-centred values and other evidence-based therapeutic techniques to suit individual concerns. This means she adapts the pace and style to fit each person’s situation and goals. She also has experience addressing workplace stress, relationship and communication problems, issues around blended families, separation, infidelity, loneliness, prejudice and discrimination, and young adult challenges.

Catherine approaches sensitive topics like self-harm with care and practical focus, helping people find clearer ways forward. People choosing Catherine can expect straightforward, respectful conversation that aims to reduce immediate distress and help with longer-term coping and decision making.

How therapeutic approaches work online

Person-centred work emphasises empathic listening and acceptance. The therapist focuses on understanding the person’s experience and follows their lead to help them explore feelings and choices. This approach is useful for building self-awareness and emotional resilience.

An integrative approach combines techniques from different evidence-based methods to suit the individual. That might mean practical coping strategies for anxiety in one session and reflective listening in the next. It helps when people need flexible support for stress, relationship issues or life changes.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about their goals and preferences, try techniques that fit, and adjust the plan as progress and needs become clearer.

Online sessions offer practical benefits. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual cues help. Phone sessions work well for shorter check-ins or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging suit people who prefer writing or need more flexible timing. These formats make it easier to fit therapy around work, study and family commitments, and give options for different kinds of conversations.

What kinds of concerns does Catherine help with?

She supports people facing stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and life changes, plus workplace issues, relationship and communication problems, and young adult challenges.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Catherine works in a person-centred, integrative way that emphasises empathic listening and adapts to each person’s needs and goals.

What experience does she bring?

She has three years of counselling experience and draws on personal and professional experience to support people through difficult situations.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and practises in the United Kingdom.

Can sessions be held in other languages or with international clients?

Sessions are offered in English and Catherine is not working with international clients at this time.

Which session formats are available?

She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to suit different preferences and schedules.

How does payment and cost work?

Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.

What is the first step to begin therapy?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.

Areas of focus

What this therapist works with

Most often

Stress, Anxiety
Family conflicts
Self esteem

Also listed

Experience: 3 years
Registered with: BACP
Languages: English

Contacting Catherine

Catherine takes enquiries through BetterHelp. You answer a few questions about what you are looking for, then arrange sessions if it seems like a fit. Browsing costs nothing and you are not committing to anything by reading this page.

Catherine Hirst, BACP

Background and approach

How therapeutic approaches work online

Areas of focus

What this therapist works with

Others working with stress, anxiety