Counsellor profile
Alison French, BACP
Counsellor - Stress and trauma
See online counselling optionsAbout Alison
Counsellor Alison French is a BACP practitioner working in the United Kingdom with seven years of experience. She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, and issues around self-esteem.
Alison works from a client-centred perspective. She treats each person as the expert on their own life and focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to them. Conversations are used to help people notice their own strengths and make choices that feel right for them.
She also uses trauma-focused approaches when trauma or abuse is part of the difficulty. That work aims to reduce the hold of past events and support people to feel more present in their day to day lives. Alison mentions breath work and Focusing-Orientated Therapy as ways to help with body awareness and emotional stuckness.
Practical concerns such as guilt, shame, life purpose and self-love are included alongside more immediate problems like panic, ongoing worry or difficulty in close relationships. Sessions focus on what a person wants to change and small steps they can try between meetings.
Alison describes her way of working as respectful and sensitive. She asks questions, offers reflections and stays alongside people while they consider new ways of being. To begin she invites people to use the directory's matching tools to schedule a first appointment.
How client-centred and trauma-focused work fits online
Client-Centred Therapy emphasises listening and the counsellor reflecting back what matters to the person. It aims to help someone become clearer about their own thoughts and choices and is useful for problems such as low self-esteem, stress and relationship uncertainty.Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on the effects of past harm and on ways to reduce its impact on daily life. This approach can include grounding techniques, gentle work with memories and practices to support feeling more present and regulated.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Alison will talk with a person about their needs, goals and how they prefer to work. Together they decide whether client-centred methods, trauma-focused work, or a combination feels best. That decision is reviewed as therapy progresses.
Practical benefits of online counselling include fitting sessions into a busy life and reducing travel time. Some people prefer not to use video; others choose brief phone check-ins or longer conversations. The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the available options before you book. Online work can make it easier to keep regular appointments around family, work or study commitments.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
7+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, and self-esteem concerns. Additional areas include guilt and shame, life purpose, self-love and sexual assault and abuse.
What approach does she use in sessions?
She practises client-centred work and uses trauma-focused methods when needed. The focus is on listening, reflection and helping people access their own resources.
How much experience does she have?
She has seven years of professional experience working with the issues listed above.
Which professional body is she registered with?
She is listed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, abbreviated as BACP.
In what language are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats does she offer?
The biography does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Fees vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online counselling options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A membership or registration can be checked on the professional body's own register.
Online counselling is not emergency care. In an emergency call 999, or see the help numbers.