Nicola Spence, BACP

Nicola Spence helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem and depression. She also supports people facing life changes, struggles with motivation, relationship and intimacy concerns, and difficulties such as addiction or coping with chronic illness. Nicola practices with a compassionate, human-centred style and works in a way that avoids symptom lists and diagnostic labels.

She is BACP registered and has three years of professional experience in the United Kingdom. Nicola believes people are shaped by their life stories and brings that viewpoint into sessions. Therapy starts by looking together at what has brought someone to seek help and building a shared understanding of their situation.

After that initial exploration, Nicola helps clients make links between past experiences and present difficulties. She offers choices about how to proceed and works collaboratively to plan the direction of therapy. Her approach is trauma aware and compassion focused in tone.

Nicola uses a blend of practical methods such as cognitive behavioural techniques alongside client-centred listening and attachment-informed thinking. She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy ideas when they fit a person’s needs.

She values the therapeutic relationship and aims to create a space where people can be honest and vulnerable. Nicola asks prospective clients to consider her style before booking, since she does not work from diagnostic labels and that way of working may not suit everyone.

How Nicola’s approaches work online and in sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping people notice what matters to them and take small steps towards those values. It can help with anxiety, depression and feeling stuck when life changes are hard to manage.

Client-Centred Therapy prioritises the relationship and the person’s experience. The therapist listens openly and follows the client’s pace to build trust and self-understanding, which suits people who need a calm, steady space to talk.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Nicola will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferences and together choose methods that feel helpful. That collaborative planning can include mixing ideas from different therapies to match the situation.

If you are considering online therapy, check the available session options before booking as the biography does not specify formats. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Some formats use less bandwidth or do not require being on camera, which can help people manage energy and logistics while still keeping therapy consistent.