David Atlay, BACP

David Atlay draws on a decade of practice to help people facing anxiety, stress and life changes. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and is a BACP member, and he frames his work around listening, understanding and practical steps forward. David aims to create a calm space where people can talk through what is troubling them and begin to feel more energised and confident.

David uses a person-centred approach to respond to each person's needs. That means he listens without judgement and follows the pace the client prefers. He also draws on cognitive behavioural techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and try new ways of coping.

In sessions he focuses on clear, achievable strategies. People often work on reducing anxiety, improving mood, managing stress, and changing patterns that hold them back. He also supports work on relationship issues, self-esteem, body image and complications around eating and addiction.

Clients who have experienced trauma, grief or major life transitions can bring those concerns into therapy. David also works with people dealing with parenting stress, caregiver strain and workplace compassion fatigue. He acknowledges the strength it takes to seek help and aims to make each step manageable.

Practical, down-to-earth conversations are central to his style. You will talk, be heard, and practise new tools between sessions. If you think his style might suit you, use the Start Therapy process on the site to complete a short questionnaire and arrange a first session.

How David’s approaches translate to online therapy

David draws on client-centred counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy in his work. Client-centred counselling means the conversation follows the person’s priorities, with an emphasis on being heard and respected. This approach helps when people need support to make sense of feelings and regain energy.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting and testing unhelpful thoughts and trying practical behaviour changes. CBT is often useful for anxiety, low mood, stress and problems that respond to step-by-step exercises or behavioural experiments.

Choosing the best approach is a joint process. He will discuss goals, preferences and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together you will try methods that fit your needs and adjust them as you progress.

If you plan to use online sessions, confirm the exact session formats available before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people use written or worksheet-based tools between sessions to practice new skills. Many find these practical benefits help therapy fit into everyday life without changing the core of how the therapist works.