David Mayes, BACP

David Mayes is a counsellor who practises in the United Kingdom and holds BACP registration. He has eight years of experience supporting people with a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, addictions, grief, and intimacy-related issues such as sexual difficulties. David aims to create a welcoming, approachable space where people can feel able to talk honestly about what matters to them.

He uses a client-centred way of working that focuses on the person's experience. Sessions tend to be warm and direct, with the counsellor listening closely and reflecting what the person brings. This approach is used to help people make sense of relationships, attachment difficulties, and identity questions.

David has worked in different settings, including NHS services, IAPT, and in a forensic context. He has experience with both short-term and longer-term work, and has carried out sessions online and by phone for domestic and international clients. He also mentions helping people with kink, alternative sex culture, and sexuality questions.

In sessions he aims to be genuine, respectful and non-judgemental. He emphasises politeness and individuality while supporting people to identify the changes they want to make. Practical conversation and steady reflection are typical elements of his style.

People contact him about relationship strain, trauma and abuse, parenting and family questions, chronic health or caregiver stress, and issues around self-esteem and career. If someone wants to explore these topics, he encourages a collaborative approach to set clear goals and a way forward.

How client-centred work translates to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy places the person's own perspective at the heart of sessions. The counsellor listens actively, reflects what is said, and follows the client's pace so they can better understand feelings and choices. This approach is useful for issues like anxiety, self-esteem, relationship strain and intimacy-related concerns because it helps people name what matters to them.

David's style is warm and straightforward, aiming to build trust through genuine, empathic listening. He collaborates with people to agree goals and the best way to reach them, so the therapeutic approach can shift if different tools would help more. Deciding what fits best is part of the work together rather than a fixed promise from the start.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by removing travel time or allowing shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people access someone who has experience with specific issues, including kink and alternative sex culture, without geographic limits. Because session formats may vary, confirm the exact options offered before booking so you know how sessions will be arranged.