Alan Cox, BACP

Alan Cox is a counsellor with 13 years' experience. He offers help with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, addictions, sleep and eating problems, and other life stresses. He works with people who are trying to cope with job change, parenting pressures, bipolar challenges, ADHD and midlife shifts.

He trained with a BA (Hons) in Counselling and a Foundation Degree in Counselling, and began practice in the voluntary charity sector before opening a independent practice in 2012. He continues to provide supervision in the bereavement voluntary sector. That background means he blends charity and independent-practice experience when working with people.

Alan keeps sessions straightforward and practical. He listens first, reflects what he hears, and helps people identify causes and patterns that keep a problem alive. Counselling is presented as a collaborative process where the person decides what next steps feel right for them.

He uses a range of approaches to suit each person. These include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioural ideas, mindfulness exercises, client-centred listening and psychodynamic perspectives. Alan also draws on coaching and workplace development experience when relevant.

Sessions aim to make day-to-day life easier. Alan helps people set small, manageable goals and try different ways of coping. He encourages practical steps alongside talking about feelings, so people can see progress between sessions.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and focus on values-based action. It is often used for anxiety, low mood and difficulty coping with change. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and helps people try practical experiments to change patterns. It can help with panic, phobias and repetitive worry. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on warm, non-judgemental listening and supports people to find their own solutions through reflection and empathy.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences and then suggest which methods to try. This is a collaborative process that can change over time if something isn’t helping.

If you are considering online sessions, please confirm the specific formats available before booking, as the biography does not list them. Many people find remote sessions easier to fit around work, family and travel. Others choose shorter check-ins when they need a quick plan, or audio-only meetings when bandwidth is limited. Registered or accredited professionals and therapists offer different ways to meet, and the focus is on making therapy fit into everyday life while working towards the goals you set together.