Cathleen Brentnall, BACP
Practical, values-focused counselling for life change
Details
| Name | Cathleen Brentnall |
|---|---|
| Credentials | BACP |
| Based in | United Kingdom |
| Registered with | BACP |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 10 |
About Cathleen
Cathleen Brentnall is a counsellor who aims to help people untangle stress, anxiety and relationship strains. She writes plainly and works in a way that tries to make sense of day-to-day pressures. Her approach is warm and practical, and she welcomes conversations about values, goals and how to move forward.
Cathleen draws on ten years of professional experience to support people through grief, trauma and changes in life circumstances. She also helps with self-esteem, career questions, sleep problems, eating issues, anger and mood difficulties including depression and bipolar.
Background and approach
She can talk with people about parenting concerns and the strain of caregiving without making assumptions about family roles. Her practice mixes narrative thinking with acceptance and commitment ideas and client-centred ways of working. That means she pays attention to the stories people tell about themselves, notices what matters most, and helps people choose actions that fit their values.
Cognitive ideas are used where thinking patterns get in the way, and emotionally focused techniques are used to look at how feelings affect relationships. Sessions are offered in English and can take place remotely by video, phone, live chat or text messaging. Cathleen is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.
She works with people in the United Kingdom and accepts international clients. Practical next steps are simple: complete a short matching questionnaire, then arrange sessions that fit into your life. Cathleen aims to make therapy flexible so people can try things at a manageable pace.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Relationship issues, Trauma and abuse, Parenting issues among the things Cathleen works with, alongside the areas below.
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Somatic Therapy: Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Internal Family Systems: Listed by Cathleen among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Cathleen directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Cathleen directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and values work online
Online therapy with Cathleen draws on Narrative Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in ways that suit remote work. Narrative Therapy looks at the stories people tell about themselves and helps separate problems from the person, which can be useful for rewiring unhelpful patterns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing what matters to you and taking small actions that match those values, often helpful for anxiety, depression and life transitions.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Cathleen will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and choose whether narrative, ACT or client-centred methods fit best. This is a collaborative process where techniques can be mixed and adjusted as you progress.
Practical benefits of online sessions include flexibility and easier scheduling. Video calls let people read facial cues and have a fuller conversation, while phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a quieter set-up is needed. Live chat and text messaging suit shorter check-ins, written reflection or times when typing feels easier than speaking. These options help therapy fit into work, travel and caring commitments.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of problems does this counsellor help with?
She helps with relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, bipolar and general anxiety. Other areas include parenting concerns, stress, sleep and eating difficulties.
How would you describe the therapist's style?
Her style is practical and person-focused, using narrative thinking alongside acceptance and commitment ideas. She looks at values, personal stories and what you want to change.
What background and experience does she have?
She has ten years of professional experience working with individuals and couples. Her practice reflects a mix of approaches to meet different needs.
Where is the counsellor based and what credential does she hold?
She works from the United Kingdom and is listed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Clients can meet by video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How much does therapy cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Cathleen are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Cathleen where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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