Robert Winstanley, BACP

Robert Winstanley is a BACP counsellor who has spent nine years working with people facing stress, anxiety and life changes. He draws on a person-centred stance to create a respectful and honest space where clients can talk about what matters to them. His practice aims to be practical and straightforward so people can make manageable changes in daily life.

Before moving into private practice he worked across the NHS and employee assistance programmes in England and Ireland. That work involved helping with depression, bereavement, work-related stress and relationship worries. He has experience supporting people from varied cultural and neurodiverse backgrounds.

Robert blends a Person-Centred approach with Egan’s Skilled Helper Model, tailoring the mix to each person. This means sessions can focus on emotional listening, alongside clear steps and goals to address current problems. He uses that combination to help with both day-to-day coping and longer-term change.

He also has particular experience in Critical Incident Stress Management debriefs, travelling to workplaces across the UK to support people after traumatic events. In those situations he aims to offer practical tools and space to process what happened.

Clients can expect short, plain talk about immediate concerns and straightforward options to try between sessions. Robert prioritises fairness, tolerance and choice, and works collaboratively to find what helps each person move forward.

Approaches that guide online work and outcomes

Robert uses Client-Centred Therapy to place the person’s experience at the centre of sessions, offering empathic listening and a non-judgemental space to talk through difficult feelings. This approach helps with issues like anxiety, depression and relationship concerns by focusing on what each individual needs.

He also uses Solution-Focused Therapy, which concentrates on small, practical steps and achievable goals. That makes it useful for career worries, stress management and when someone wants short-term, actionable change.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Robert will work with each client to decide which methods fit their goals, needs and personal preferences. He checks in as therapy progresses and adapts the mix of listening and practical techniques together with the client.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy around work or family life and can allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It can also reduce travel and help maintain continuity when people move or travel. Registered or accredited professionals and therapists commonly offer online ways to work, and the right choice depends on practical needs and personal comfort rather than clinical effectiveness alone.