Richard Schafer, BACP

Richard Schafer is a counsellor with more than two decades of experience. He works with people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship strain, low self esteem and coping with life changes. He uses plain, direct conversation to help people make sense of difficult feelings. Richard is a member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists, shown as BACP. Richard trained as a psychodynamic counsellor in 2003 and started independent practice in 2004. Over twelve years he worked as a clinical lead in statutory residential therapeutic settings. That background informs how he listens for patterns in relationships and early experiences. He follows an integrative approach that draws on psychodynamic ideas and Person Centred principles. In practice this means paying attention to how past relationships shape current reactions while keeping the client's experience and goals central to sessions. He adapts methods to the person rather than using a single fixed programme. Sessions aim to be straightforward and practical. Richard will often help identify repeating themes, try different ways of talking about problems, and support clearer communication. He also offers couple counselling for relationship issues. People looking for help with abandonment, attachment difficulties, control issues, communication problems, divorce and separation, substance problems, or feelings of emptiness and loneliness may find his background relevant. He works in English and accepts international clients from the United Kingdom base.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Richard draws on psychodynamic and Person Centred ideas. Psychodynamic work looks at repeating relationship patterns and how earlier experiences shape current feelings; it can help when issues like abandonment, attachment problems or persistent relationship reactivity keep recurring. Person Centred work focuses on the person's here-and-now experience and the relationship in the session, offering a steady, non-directive space to name and work through distress. Finding the right approach is part of the therapy itself. Richard will discuss the methods that seem most helpful and adjust them as goals and needs become clearer. That collaborative process helps match techniques to what the client wants to change or understand. If you are considering online therapy, check which session options are currently offered before you book. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, remove travel time and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. They also let people connect from different locations, which can suit international clients, but confirm practical details such as whether video or phone sessions are available when you arrange appointments.