James Sims, BACP, NCPS

James Sims is a counsellor who focuses on helping people make sense of difficult feelings. He works with issues such as stress, anxiety, relationship worries, low self-esteem and depression. James aims to create a calm, respectful space where people can talk through what matters to them without rush.

He describes his practice as integrative, so sessions are tailored to each person rather than following a single fixed method. Conversations start from the client's experience and build out practical steps and clearer perspectives. The work is collaborative and paced around what feels manageable at the time.

Before moving into independent practice, James spent more than ten years at the NSPCC and Childline. There he supported children, young people and adults on child protection helplines, and took on training and supervision responsibilities. That frontline background informs how he responds in pressured or emotional moments.

James believes people already have strengths they can draw on, and he helps them notice and use those strengths. Sessions include listening, reflection and occasionally evidence-informed techniques to change unhelpful thinking or behaviour. The overall aim is to help people feel steadier and more able to make choices that suit them.

If someone wants to begin, James suggests starting when they feel ready. Prospective clients can use the Start Therapy process to match and schedule a first appointment.

How his approaches translate to online counselling

Client-Centred Therapy places the client's experience at the heart of sessions. It involves open listening, reflecting back what the client says and helping them find their own direction; this can help with issues like low self-esteem and relationship concerns. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours link together and uses practical exercises to shift unhelpful patterns; it is often useful for anxiety, stress and depression.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The counsellor will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferences and then shape sessions from that. That means you and the therapist decide collaboratively which methods to try and how to adapt them over time.

If you are considering online therapy, check which session formats James currently offers before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also allows continuing care when life changes make in-person meetings harder. Registered or accredited professionals and therapists can use online sessions to maintain regular contact and keep momentum in the therapy process.