Anne-Marie Bates

Anne-Marie Bates is a counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, low mood and relationship strain. She works in a non-judgemental way and aims to make the first steps feel manageable. Her approach is respectful and practical for day-to-day life.

With 12 years of experience she has supported students, college staff and private clients from varied backgrounds. She uses a person-focused stance that listens first, and then helps people agree goals and steps they can try between sessions. Sessions are tailored to each person's needs rather than applying the same plan to everyone.

Anne-Marie draws on client-centred methods to make people feel heard and understood. She also uses elements from cognitive behavioural approaches when thinking patterns and behaviours are getting in the way. Solution-focused ideas help keep sessions practical and goal-oriented so clients can notice small changes quickly.

She has worked with common concerns such as family problems, communication difficulties and issues around self-esteem and body image. Other areas she supports include guilt, shame, isolation, life purpose and midlife change. She can also help people who are dealing with self-harm thoughts and complex emotions related to sexuality and impulsivity.

People can expect a warm, accepting space where the counsellor and client decide next steps together. Sessions focus on clear, realistic actions as well as understanding feelings. The aim is to help people feel more in control and better able to cope with everyday pressures.

How these approaches work in online counselling

Client-Centred Therapy is about listening and creating a supportive space where the person leads the conversation. It helps when someone needs to be heard and wants to explore feelings without pressure.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions link together. It is useful for stress, anxiety and low mood because it offers simple exercises to try between sessions and practical ways to break unhelpful cycles.

Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on small, achievable changes and on what is already working. This approach can help when a person wants quick, practical steps to move forward rather than lengthy problem analysis.

Finding the right approach is often part of the work itself. The counsellor will talk with the client about goals, preferences and how problems show up in day-to-day life, and then choose methods together. That collaborative decision can change as progress is made.

Online counselling can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy routine and reduce travel time. It can also allow shorter check-ins when that suits a person, or sessions without video if bandwidth is limited. The biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current options before booking to ensure the arrangements fit your needs.