About Valerie
Valerie Harmer is a counsellor who helps people facing anxiety, phobias, grief and relationship strain. She also supports those dealing with low self-esteem, life changes, and work or parenting stress. People come to her wanting practical steps and clearer thinking about what to change next.
Her style is straightforward and question-led. She asks a lot of questions to help people see patterns and identify what keeps problems going. Sessions aim to be collaborative so the person and therapist decide which steps to try next.
Background and approach
Valerie uses solution-focused ideas alongside cognitive behavioural techniques and mindfulness. That means she works on practical actions, looks at how thoughts and behaviours interact, and introduces simple awareness practices. She offers short-term work for specific goals and longer therapy when deeper change is wanted.
Her training includes postgraduate study in counselling and CBT psychotherapy at the University of South Wales, a diploma in solution-focused hypnotherapy from the Clifton Practice in Bristol, and bereavement counselling training with CRUSE. Valerie has nine years' experience in the field and is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP.
Sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat or text messaging. These options suit people who need flexibility around work, family or mobility and who prefer different ways of talking and checking in.
Approaches that suit online counselling
Valerie draws on cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused methods to guide online work. CBT helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviours to reduce anxiety, low mood and obsessive patterns. Solution-focused work concentrates on small, practical steps and clear goals so progress can be tracked between sessions.Mindfulness techniques are also used to build awareness of thoughts and bodily signs of stress. These are simple exercises you can practise between sessions to reduce reactivity and improve sleep and focus.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. Valerie will work together with each person to choose methods that fit their needs and goals. That may mean mixing CBT, mindfulness and solution-focused tasks and adjusting the plan as progress is made.
Online sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat or text messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls are useful for more in-depth work and shared exercises, phone sessions need less bandwidth and can be easier during a short break, while chat and messaging can suit quick check-ins or people who prefer not to be on camera. These options make it easier to fit counselling around work, family and other commitments.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
Also listed
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 9 years
- Licensed
- Languages
- English
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