Darran Bellis, BACP

Darran Bellis is a counsellor who focuses on helping people navigate stress, anxiety and midlife change. He works with individuals who are feeling stuck, low in confidence, or overwhelmed by life shifts. He writes in a straightforward way and aims to treat people with sensitivity and respect.

He uses conversations tailored to each person’s needs. Sessions centre on what matters most to the client and on practical steps they can try between meetings. Darran draws on Client-Centred Therapy to make space for the client’s own goals and perspectives.

He also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, bringing in simple techniques to spot unhelpful thinking and try different behaviours. This can help with low mood, anxiety and coping with big life decisions. Darran has five years of professional experience working in the United Kingdom and holds membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP.

In sessions he aims to be down-to-earth and direct. He will co-create a plan with the person in front of him, adjusting tone and pace to suit them. People looking for support with relationships, parenting strains, work stress, addiction concerns, grief, trauma-related issues or identity questions may find his practical, conversational style useful.

If you want to explore whether he is the right fit, prepare to talk about current stresses and a few goals. The first conversations focus on what you hope to change and small steps to try next.

How his approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person’s priorities and on listening without judgement. In practice this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, checks goals regularly and adapts the pace and tone to what the person needs. It is useful for exploring identity, relationship concerns and midlife decisions.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings and actions. Sessions use straightforward tools to notice patterns and try small behaviour changes. CBT can help with anxiety, low mood and coping strategies for stressful life events.

Choosing the right way of working is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with the client to decide whether a client-centred approach, CBT techniques or a mix suits their goals and preferences. This is agreed together and can change as progress is made.

The practical benefit of online work is that therapy can fit into busy lives more easily. Online meetings can make attending sessions simpler around work or family routines, and allow short check-ins where helpful. Because the biography does not list specific session formats, confirm the exact options offered before booking to make sure they fit your needs.