Hal Thompson, BACP

Hal Thompson greets people with a calm, straightforward style. He aims to make the first step feel less daunting and to build a working relationship based on respect and honesty. Hal is named up front so readers know who they would be meeting. Hal holds a Master’s degree in psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy from Birkbeck, University of London and a BA in psychology from the University of Sussex. He is a BACP member, which means he is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. He brings three years of direct therapy experience to one-to-one work. His main way of working is psychodynamic counselling. That means he looks at how past experiences and coping patterns show up now, often without a person realising it. Sessions tend to focus on understanding recurring feelings, relationships, and patterns that cause stress or unhappiness. Hal also uses ideas from other evidence-based approaches when they suit the person. These methods are woven into sessions to offer practical tools as well as deeper understanding. The mix is decided together rather than imposed. People come to him for stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, and low self-esteem. He also gives attention to attachment concerns, dissociation, substance problems, guilt and shame, men's issues, OCD-related difficulties, panic, post-traumatic stress, experiences of prejudice, self-harm, and social anxiety. Hal works in English and accepts international clients. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to his availability. Costs vary with location and the service subscription, which can be cancelled at any time.

How evidence-based methods work in online therapy

Psychodynamic counselling focuses on understanding how earlier life experiences and coping patterns influence what happens now. In online sessions this looks like talking through recurring feelings, relationship patterns, and unconscious responses to stress so they become clearer and easier to change.

Where useful, elements from other evidence-based approaches are added to the work. For example, short-term cognitive techniques can help manage anxiety or panic with practical exercises, and parts-based ideas can support people who struggle with internal conflict or strong self-criticism. These techniques give tools as well as insight and are chosen to match the problem being addressed.

Finding the right mix of methods is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the person to decide what feels most helpful, revising the plan as understanding grows and goals shift.

The biography does not list which session formats are offered, so confirm available options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions around work, study, or caring responsibilities, and it can reduce travel time. Telephone sessions can be a quicker check-in when bandwidth is limited, while video sessions allow for face-to-face contact if that suits the person.