Alison Sowerby

Alison Sowerby is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom with eight years of professional experience. She offers calm, non-judgemental support for people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief or low self-esteem. Alison also helps with motivation, confidence and life transitions, and is willing to discuss Bible matters when that is relevant to a client.

Alison aims to create an open space where people can say what they need to say. She listens without rushing and encourages clients to make small, practical changes that feel manageable. Sessions focus on what the person wants to achieve, not on fitting them into a label.

Her work draws on client-centred ideas that place the person’s own experience at the centre of the conversation. Cognitive behavioural techniques are used when helpful to spot unhelpful thinking and try new ways of responding. Mindfulness exercises are introduced to build awareness of thoughts and bodily sensations.

Alison also incorporates somatic approaches to help people notice how stress and emotion show up in the body. This can support work on sleep problems, anger, trauma-related tension and long-term conditions that affect daily life. The practical emphasis is on learning simple skills to use between sessions.

She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, listed as BACP, and works in English. International clients are accepted, and practical arrangements are agreed at the start. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and book according to available times.

How client-centred, CBT and mindfulness translate to online counselling

Alison uses client-centred work that focuses on what matters most to the person. This means she listens openly and helps people clarify their own goals rather than imposing a plan. Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, involves spotting unhelpful thinking patterns and trying practical, behaviour-based experiments to change how someone feels. Mindfulness work teaches simple attention and breathing exercises to reduce reactivity and improve sleep and focus.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Alison will work collaboratively to decide which methods suit the client’s needs, goals and comfort level. Together they check progress and adjust the plan as the work moves forward.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the specific session formats when you book because formats were not specified in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy day, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when life is hectic. It also makes it possible to work with someone based elsewhere in the UK or internationally. Discuss any practical preferences at the first meeting so sessions can be arranged to fit your routine.