Deborah Steel, BACP

Deborah Steel is a counsellor with 12 years of experience who supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression and trauma. She works with clients on grief and loss, intimacy concerns and life transitions. Deborah aims to make conversations straightforward and practical so people can find small steps forward.

Her approach centres on listening without judgement. She creates space for people to talk through difficult feelings and to reflect on what matters to them. Sessions focus on what a person wants to change and on building realistic ways to get there.

Deborah uses a mix of methods that suit each person. She draws on client-centred work to follow a client’s pace and on cognitive behavioural techniques to tackle unhelpful thinking and patterns. Emotionally-Focused Therapy ideas are used when relationships and attachment themes are important.

She also brings mindfulness and existential ideas into sessions when people need help with acceptance, meaning, or staying present in difficult moments. Deborah works with practical concerns too, such as sleep problems, career stress and caregiver strain, and she recognises the additional challenges that come with ageing and geriatric issues.

Deborah holds a BA (Hons) in Counselling and is a member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP). She practises in the United Kingdom and offers sessions in English. To begin, people are invited to ask questions and consider their goals before arranging time to meet.

How Deborah’s approaches translate to online therapy

Deborah works from client-centred, cognitive behavioural and emotionally-focused ideas. Client-centred work means the counsellor follows the person’s pace and priorities, helping them find their own solutions and feel heard. Cognitive behavioural techniques look at thoughts and behaviours that keep problems going and teach practical ways to change them. Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on emotions in relationships and attachment, helping people understand and shift patterns that cause pain.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Deborah discusses preferences and goals with each person and chooses methods together. She adapts techniques across conversations so the plan fits what someone wants to achieve rather than imposing a single method.

The practical benefits of online work include being able to fit sessions into a busy week and keeping therapy consistent when life is hectic. If you are considering online sessions, confirm which session formats are available before booking, as session options are organised per therapist. Many people find online work helps them check in more regularly, try short follow-ups between in-depth sessions, or avoid travel time while still having focused support.