Alison May, BACP

Alison May is a UK-based counsellor with six years' experience helping people through major life shifts. She works in an integrative style and aims to meet each person where they are. Alison emphasises a collaborative, team-based approach and supports clients as they clarify goals and take practical steps forward.

Her practice covers a wide range of concerns. She helps people facing anxiety, depression, grief and stress. She also supports those navigating sexuality and gender questions, relationship difficulties, addictions and trauma. Midlife questions and the feeling of wanting change but not knowing how to begin are part of her work.

Alison identifies as an ally to people of colour and trans people. She has personal experience and professional focus on LGBT+ issues and neurodiversity, including autism and ADHD. She aims to offer an accepting space and to listen without judgement.

In sessions she uses ideas from attachment work, client-centred approaches, narrative thinking and psychodynamic perspectives. She keeps therapy practical and conversational, helping people reflect on patterns and experiment with new ways of relating and living. The aim is clearer choices and steadier coping in daily life.

People who want a collaborative counsellor tend to find her style useful. She encourages small, manageable steps and checks in about what is and is not helpful. If you are considering change in midlife or another life stage, she can help you explore options and build a plan.

Approaches that shape online work

Alison draws on attachment-based ideas to look at how early and close relationships influence current patterns. This can help when someone struggles with trust, closeness or repeated relationship problems. She also uses client-centred ways of working, which mean she follows the person's lead and focuses on what matters most to them in the moment. That approach suits people who need space to reflect and be heard without pressure.

She will treat choosing an approach as a joint process. The therapist and client discuss goals, try things out, and adapt methods that feel most useful. This collaborative stance means the plan can change as understanding grows and priorities shift.

If you are considering online work, check the session formats available before booking as these were not specified in the original biography. Online counselling can make it easier to fit sessions around work, family and health commitments. It can also allow shorter check-ins, reduce travel time and remove the need to be on camera for every meeting. Registered or accredited professionals use different ways of working online, and Alison will discuss what suits your schedule and needs during the initial matching and planning stage.