Jennifer "Jen" Somerville, BACP

Therapeutic approaches and online counselling options

Jen primarily uses person-centred counselling, which means the conversation begins with attentive listening and follows the client's concerns. This approach helps people clarify their thoughts, feel heard and decide next steps for issues like grief, parenting stress or life changes.

She also works within an integrative framework, bringing in other evidence-based techniques when appropriate. That can mean adding practical strategies for managing addiction-related urges, coping with chronic illness, or addressing workplace difficulties alongside the person-centred foundation.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals and preferences. Plans are reviewed as therapy progresses so the approach can change if something else seems more helpful.

Online therapy is offered through video calls, telephone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video is useful for a face-to-face feel and deeper conversation, while phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging suit people who prefer to write, want more frequent brief contact, or need a flexible option around work or study schedules.

These formats make it easier to fit counselling into busy lives, to access support from different locations in the United Kingdom, and to try different ways of talking until the best fit is found.