Ilkay Alici, BACP

Ilkay Alici welcomes people who are facing relationship strain, anxiety, stress, grief, trauma and abuse, or struggles with self-esteem and parenting. She also helps with addictions, eating and sleeping problems, anger, career issues, bipolar and depressive symptoms, ADHD and compassion fatigue. Ilkay is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and brings 14 years of clinical experience to her practice.

Her approach is warm and person-focused. Sessions aim to be a calm place to talk about what matters most. Conversations are shaped around the person's own needs and goals rather than a fixed agenda.

Ilkay uses methods drawn from client-centred work, cognitive behavioural techniques and mindfulness. She adapts these tools to each person’s situation so practical steps can be taken between sessions. The emphasis is on small, doable changes that build confidence and reduce overwhelm.

She has experience with additional complex areas such as attachment and abandonment issues, adoption and foster care matters, chronic pain and illness, codependency, communication and commitment problems, and a range of personality-related concerns. This breadth means she often links emotional patterns to everyday behaviour and relationships.

Sessions are offered in English and Turkish and Ilkay accepts international clients. If someone wants to begin, they use the platform Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to availability.

How her approaches inform online counselling

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s perspective. The counsellor offers empathy and reflection to help people make sense of their feelings and decide what change would help. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and uses practical exercises to shift unhelpful patterns. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus and emotional balance.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Ilkay will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and suggest which methods to try. This is a collaborative process and adjustments are made as needs change.

The practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions into a busy week and avoiding travel time, which can make regular appointments easier to keep. Online work can also allow shorter check-ins or flexible scheduling that suits work and family life. The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the available session types before booking to ensure they suit your needs.