Colette Safhill, BACP

Colette Safhill is a person-centred psychotherapist with 20 years' experience. She uses a calm, non-judgemental style to help people talk through stress, anxiety, relationship strain and other difficulties. Colette is BACP accredited and trained at the University of Essex, and she works in ways that match each person’s needs.

Colette listens first and follows what the client brings to the room. She blends a person-centred stance with other approaches when helpful, including cognitive behavioural techniques, dialectical skills, EMDR for trauma, and relationship work influenced by the Gottman Method. This mix lets her offer practical tools alongside listening and reflection.

Her experience covers a wide range of concerns such as addictions, grief, intimacy-related issues, eating and sleeping problems, and coping with life changes. She has also developed work around abandonment, attachment, adoption and foster care, and issues linked to chronic illness and caregiving.

Colette has undertaken post-qualifying training in areas such as trauma, adoptions, eating disorders and domestic abuse, and she is insured to practise. She offers sessions in person, by phone and online, and she aims to help people find clearer ways to manage strong emotions, cut through unhelpful patterns and build more satisfying day-to-day routines.

Her approach is straightforward and practical. People can expect a collaborative process where goals are agreed and progress is reviewed. The focus is on what matters now and on finding manageable steps forward.

How Colette’s approaches translate to online therapy

Colette combines a person-centred way of working with practical therapies to meet everyday problems. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on understanding the person's experience and building trust through empathic listening, which helps with feeling heard and understood. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and introduces concrete strategies to reduce anxiety, improve sleep and change unhelpful habits.

EMDR is used as a trauma-focused approach where appropriate; it aims to help process distressing memories and reduce their emotional intensity. Each approach targets different needs, and Colette discusses which methods might suit an individual as part of the early sessions. She works collaboratively to decide what to try and checks in about progress and usefulness as therapy continues.

If you are considering online or phone sessions, confirm the current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, save travel time and allow follow-up check-ins without needing to return to a clinic. Phone sessions can be useful when camera use is difficult, and shorter remote check-ins can help keep momentum between longer appointments. Registered or accredited professionals like Colette aim to match approach and format to the client’s needs and day-to-day life.