Charlotte Houghton , BACP

Charlotte Houghton is a UK-based counsellor who combines client-centered practice with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people work through stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression, compassion fatigue and a wide range of life challenges. She communicates in a direct and clear way, using plain language and occasional humour when appropriate to make difficult topics easier to approach. Charlotte brings lived experience to her work, including family experience with autism and ADHD, and she often uses vivid images or metaphors to help clients understand unhelpful thinking patterns and emotional responses.

Warm, open and non-judgemental, Charlotte aims to meet people where they are and to walk alongside them as they unpick the issues that trouble them. She does not tell clients what to do; instead she supports and empowers them to reach their own decisions and make the changes they want. Her work with people bereaved by sudden death and suicide has shaped a style that values kindness, acceptance and asking direct questions to surface underlying feelings and move toward acceptance of life as it is now.

Charlotte has experience supporting clients through parenting and the journey to parenthood, neurodivergence, LGBTQIA+ and non-binary identities, long-term medical diagnoses such as MS, and complex bereavement. She has worked with adults from many cultural and religious backgrounds, including people for whom English is not a first language. She is a member of the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - which denotes affiliation with the UK professional body for counselling.

Practically, Charlotte offers flexible ways of working, including evening appointments a few nights a week, daytime sessions on Monday and Thursday, and support by email or worksheets between sessions where helpful. She encourages anyone ready to take the step toward therapy to reach out and start the process of change.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Charlotte uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and fears without getting stuck in them, then focus on actions that match their values. This approach is often useful for anxiety, depression, stress and difficulties with motivation. She also works in a client-centered way, offering a warm, non-judgemental presence that prioritises the client’s perspective and pace; this helps people explore relationships, grief, self-esteem and life transitions by feeling genuinely heard.

Choosing the right approach is part of therapy itself. Charlotte works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals and preferences, adjusting the focus as understanding grows. Clients can expect shared decision making about techniques and objectives throughout the process.

Online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives. Charlotte offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging so people can choose the format that feels most accessible and practical. These options support continuity of care, flexible scheduling and regular contact in ways that suit individual routines and commitments.