- Years in practice
- 9
- Registration
- BACP
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Grief
About Valerie
Valerie Harmer is a counsellor who helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and relationship strain. She supports people coping with grief, parenting pressures, anger and life changes. Valerie also works with concerns such as OCD, eating and sleeping problems, attention difficulties and issues linked to past trauma.
Her style is practical and collaborative. She asks questions to help people understand what keeps a problem going and what small changes might help.
Background and approach
Sessions can be brief or longer term depending on the person’s goals. Valerie offers straightforward feedback and suggestions aimed at breaking unhelpful cycles. Valerie uses a mix of approaches, drawing on cognitive behavioural ideas, mindfulness and solution-focused work.
She has studied counselling and CBT psychotherapy to postgraduate level at the University of South Wales. She also trained in solution-focused hypnotherapy and completed bereavement counselling training with a national charity. She is a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, which informs her practice and supervision.
Her nine years of study and practice shape a pragmatic, change-oriented approach. Sessions are conducted in English and arranged to suit individual needs. People choose Valerie when they want a clear, question-led way to make progress.
She aims to help clients spot patterns, try manageable steps and build on small successes. That approach is used to address a wide range of personal and parenting concerns.
What Valerie works with
Everything Valerie lists, in their own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Valerie helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coaching
- ADHD
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Valerie lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
Approaches that suit online therapy
Valerie uses cognitive behavioural ideas and solution-focused methods that adapt well to online sessions. Cognitive behavioural work focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and trying small behaviour changes to reduce anxiety, low mood or obsessive habits. Solution-focused work centres on identifying practical steps and building on what is already working to move forward.Mindfulness practices are also part of her work and can be used in short exercises during a call or as daily practices between sessions to help with stress and emotional regulation. The therapist will work with each person to decide which approaches feel most helpful. Finding the right fit is a shared process - goals, pace and preferences shape which methods are used and how they are blended.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, so sessions can fit busy schedules or different needs. Video calls suit fuller conversations and visual connection. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be easier to fit into a work break. Live chat or messaging offers shorter check-ins and written reflections between longer sessions. These options aim to make it easier to engage with therapy while keeping flexibility for everyday life.
Questions people ask about Valerie
What kinds of problems does Valerie help with?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, grief and parenting pressures, along with issues like OCD, eating and sleeping difficulties and trauma.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is pragmatic and collaborative, using questions to help people understand what keeps problems going and to identify small changes to try.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
Valerie has nine years of study and practice, including postgraduate counselling and CBT psychotherapy training and specialised bereavement training.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What formats are available for therapy sessions?
Valerie offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging.
How are costs and payments handled?
Session costs vary with location and therapist availability and use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
What do I do to begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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