Paula Caffrey

Paula Caffrey is a BACP counsellor (British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy) with 20 years of clinical experience in the United Kingdom. She works with people experiencing stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief and depression. Paula also addresses issues such as abandonment, attachment difficulties, codependency and communication problems.

She served in the Royal Navy before retraining as a counsellor, and has worked in both voluntary and clinical settings. Her background includes roles with Alcohol Focus Scotland, Arch Initiatives, RASA, Action on Addiction and a staff counsellor role at Wigan, Wrightington & Leigh NHS trust. She has run a private practice since 2010.

Paula draws on a mix of person-centred practice, cognitive behavioural ideas, psychodynamic thinking and Internal Family Systems. In practical terms this means she listens for what matters to each person, helps identify patterns of thought and behaviour, and looks at different parts of a persons experience to reduce self-sabotage and addictive patterns.

Sessions tend to focus on clear, manageable steps alongside exploring deeper themes from the past that still affect everyday life. Paula works with people on issues such as grief, recovery from abuse, dissociation, guilt and shame, and relationship breakdown.

She supports people who are questioning what comes next after a life change, those feeling empty or stuck, and anyone wanting to untangle patterns that keep repeating. To begin, clients follow the sites matching process and book an initial session to decide how to proceed.

How her approaches translate to online work

Paula uses Client-Centred practice and Internal Family Systems in ways that fit online work. Client-Centred practice focuses on attentive listening and reflecting what matters to the client, which helps clarify feelings and priorities. Internal Family Systems looks at different parts of a person's inner life so people can reduce patterns like self-criticism or self-sabotage; this can be useful when addressing addictions or trauma.

She also draws on cognitive behavioural ideas to spot thought and behaviour patterns and to plan small, practical steps forward. Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. Paula collaborates with each person to choose what feels most useful based on their goals and preferences, and she reviews that plan as work proceeds.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Many people find remote working helpful because it can fit more easily around work and family commitments, it can allow shorter check-ins when time is tight, and it removes travel time. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt exercises and reflection work for online sessions so the work stays practical and relevant to day-to-day life.