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Home Counsellors Melinda Best
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Melinda Best, BACP

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

Works with AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsSelf esteemCoaching

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Melinda Best helps people who are facing addiction, relationship strain, family conflict, low self-esteem or who want coaching to move forward. She presents a calm, straightforward style so conversations feel manageable. Melinda works in English and brings 16 years of professional experience in the United Kingdom.

She holds BACP membership and uses that background to structure practical sessions. Melinda starts by listening to what matters most to each person. She treats the client as the expert in their own life and draws out existing strengths.

Background and approach

Sessions focus on clear goals, small steps and realistic changes rather than jargon or lengthy theory. Her practice blends client-centred conversations with cognitive behavioural tools. That means she helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviours while keeping relationships and values central.

Motivational interviewing is used when people want change but feel stuck. She also incorporates mindfulness and somatic ideas to help with stress and with the way feelings show up in the body. Those techniques can be useful for chronic pain, dissociation and for managing strong emotions in the moment.

Over her career Melinda has worked with issues around ageing, caregiver stress, chronic illness, commitment concerns, communication problems, infidelity, shame, and life purpose. Her approach is practical and collaborative, focused on what will make life feel better day to day.

How Melinda’s approaches work online

Client-centred therapy is about listening closely and following what a person says matters most. Online sessions use this approach to build trust, identify strengths and set goals that feel relevant to daily life. Cognitive behavioural therapy helps people notice thoughts and actions that keep problems going and then try small experiments to change them. Online CBT sessions can include short exercises, thought records and practical homework between appointments. Mindfulness practice trains attention to the present moment and to bodily sensations. In remote work this can be guided through brief breathing or body awareness exercises that fit into a busy day and help with stress or chronic pain. Choosing the right approach is part of therapy. Melinda will work collaboratively to match methods to a person's concerns, goals and preferences rather than using a single technique for everyone. That shared planning makes it easier to adjust if something does not feel helpful. Online sessions allow flexible ways to connect. Video calls are close to an in-person conversation, phone sessions use less bandwidth, live chat can work for quick check-ins, and text messaging supports ongoing reflection between meetings. These options make it easier to fit support around work, caregiving and movement between appointments.
What types of problems does Melinda support?
She helps with addictions, relationship and family difficulties, self-esteem and coaching needs, plus related concerns such as midlife questions and chronic illness.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is client-centred and practical, combining listening with goal-focused tools from cognitive behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
Melinda has 16 years of professional experience working in the United Kingdom with a range of concerns related to addiction, relationships and life transitions.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practices in the United Kingdom.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
Which session formats does she offer?
Melinda works via video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging depending on what suits the person.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are delivered through a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
What is the process to begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

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Experience
16 years
Registered with
BACP
Languages
English

Contacting Melinda

Melinda 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.

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