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Petina Walker, BACP

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

Works with Stress, AnxietyAddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGrief

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Petina Walker is a counsellor with 17 years' experience based in the United Kingdom. She holds BACP membership and works with adults on a range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addiction, grief and relationship difficulties. Petina aims to help people gain clarity and feel heard in sessions.

Her approach is adaptable and client-led. She draws on attachment-based ideas and emotionally-focused methods alongside client-centred listening and mindfulness techniques. Sessions are shaped to the issue brought that day, so tools and focus can shift from one meeting to the next.

Background and approach

Petina has a long background in drugs and alcohol services, where she completed assessments, ran group programmes and delivered one-to-one interventions. That work sits alongside many years running a wellbeing centre in Exeter and supporting people through illness, bereavement and major life changes.

In practice she pays attention to the links between stress, trauma and addictive behaviours, and to patterns of attachment and abandonment that can drive unhelpful coping. She works with eating, sleeping, parenting strain, anger, self-esteem, career worries, bipolar and depression among other difficulties. Clients can expect straightforward listening, calm questioning and practical options to try between sessions.

Petina is experienced in motivational and solution-focused methods when a short-term plan is useful, and she also uses mindfulness skills to help with grounding and emotion regulation. Sessions are offered in English and are available online in formats such as video, phone, live chat or text-based messaging.

Petina has developed a independent practice focus in recent years while continuing to draw on her clinical work in substance services.

How Petina’s approaches work online

Petina uses attachment-based work to look at relationship patterns and how early bonds influence feelings and reactions; this helps with intimacy, abandonment and communication problems. She also relies on emotionally-focused ideas to identify and name strong feelings in the moment and to help people change how they respond in close relationships. She brings a client-centred stance to online sessions, which means the conversation follows what the person brings and the therapist adapts techniques to fit. Finding the right approach is collaborative - the therapist will discuss goals and try different ways of working until a helpful fit is found. Online formats make it easier to keep therapy consistent around daily life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual cues matter. Phone sessions can be lower bandwidth and good for a focused check-in. Live chat or text-based messaging suits short exchanges, ongoing support between sessions or people who prefer writing to speaking. Registered or accredited professionals can tailor each format to the approach chosen, using motivational or solution-focused tools for shorter plans, and mindfulness or emotionally-focused methods for deeper emotional work. The range of online options is designed to offer practical flexibility while keeping the focus on progress and what helps the client most.
What kinds of problems can be brought to therapy here?
Petina works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, trauma, relationship and intimacy issues, eating and sleeping problems, parenting strain, anger, low self-esteem, bipolar and depression.
How would you describe the therapy style?
The style is client-led and practical. Sessions combine listening with clear questions, and may include motivational, solution-focused or mindfulness techniques depending on what helps most.
What professional background informs this work?
Petina has 17 years' experience including roles in drugs and alcohol services where she ran groups, completed assessments and provided one-to-one interventions.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted for online work.
In what formats are sessions offered?
Therapy is available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and preferences.
How are sessions paid for and what do they cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
What do I do to begin working with this counsellor?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

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Experience
17 years
Registered with
BACP
Languages
English

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