Vanessa Lorkins

I currently have availability for new clients.

I offer online counselling to adults across the UK. Some sessions are available early in the morning and in the evenings, which may suit you if you are balancing work, caring responsibilities, study, or a busy schedule.

Appointments are arranged by agreement, and I will discuss current availability with you when you get in touch. If my regular appointment times do not suit you, please feel welcome to ask, as flexibility may sometimes be possible.

I aim to respond to enquiries within two working days. I do not provide a crisis or emergency service, and I do not monitor emails or messages outside my working hours. If you need urgent support, please contact your GP, call NHS 111, contact Samaritans on 116 123, or call 999 / go to A&E if you or someone else is in immediate danger.

I will give as much notice as possible of any planned breaks, holidays, or changes to sessions. Where possible, we will discuss these in advance and agree how we will manage the gap in our work together.

I offer a warm, respectful, and collaborative space in which you can bring what is troubling you, at your own pace. You don't need to have the right words, a clear reason for seeking counselling, or a fully formed plan for what needs to change. You might not even know where to start. That's OK. We can begin with what feels most present for you.

My approach is humanistic and based on Transactional Analysis (TA). TA can help us make sense of the patterns that shape how we relate to ourselves and other people, including people-pleasing, over-functioning, anxiety, burnout, difficult boundaries, and the feeling that you must keep everyone else happy or hold everything together.

Together, we may explore the messages, roles, and early decisions that have influenced how you see yourself and the world. We will be curious about how these patterns show up in your relationships, work, family life, and inner voice now. The purpose is not to blame your past, or to suggest that there is something wrong with you. It is to understand what has helped you cope, recognise where those ways of coping are no longer serving you, and create more room for choice.

I will not tell you what to do or impose my own ideas of what your life should look like. Instead, I will listen carefully, ask thoughtful questions, and work with you to identify what matters to you. My style is compassionate, non-judgmental, and gently challenging when it feels helpful.

Our first session is an opportunity for us to meet, talk about what has brought you to counselling, and consider whether working together feels like a good fit. If we decide to continue, we will agree a counselling contract covering practical arrangements, confidentiality, and the focus of our work.

I offer online sessions to adults across the UK. I work ethically within the BACP Ethical Framework and receive regular clinical supervision. Confidentiality is treated with great care, and I will explain its limits clearly before we begin working together.

My practice offers online counselling for adults across the UK who may feel overwhelmed, anxious, exhausted, or stuck in patterns that no longer serve them. You may be someone who appears to be coping on the outside, but feels worn down by constantly trying to keep everyone else happy, manage other people’s needs, or hold everything together.

I have a particular interest in working with people-pleasing, over-functioning, burnout, anxiety, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and questions of identity or direction. I also welcome clients who identify as neurodivergent, or who are exploring whether neurodivergence may be relevant to their experience.

I offer a warm, calm, and non-judgmental space in which you can speak openly and be taken seriously. Counselling is not about being told what to do, judged for your choices, or expected to arrive with everything neatly explained. It is a space to slow down, make sense of what is happening, and become more aware of your needs, feelings, relationships, and options.

My work is informed by Transactional Analysis, a humanistic approach that can help us understand recurring patterns in relationships and self-talk. We may explore the roles you learned to take on, such as the responsible one, the peacekeeper, or the person who puts others first, and consider whether those roles still serve you.

Sessions take place online, offering privacy and flexibility wherever you are in the UK. I also offer appointments early in the morning and in the evenings, which can work well around employment, study, caring responsibilities, or other commitments. Sessions cost £55, with a 10% concession available for students and people on a low income.

I work in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework and receive regular clinical supervision. I aim to respond to enquiries within two working days.

Before booking a first counselling session, I offer a free, no-obligation introductory call of around 20–30 minutes. This is a chance for us to briefly meet, for you to tell me a little about what has brought you to counselling, and for you to ask any questions you may have.

The call is not a counselling session, and there is no pressure or obligation to book further sessions afterwards. We can discuss how I work, the practicalities of online counselling, my availability, fees, and whether the support I offer may be appropriate for you. It is also an opportunity for us both to consider whether working together feels right.

If we decide to proceed, I will send you my counselling contract before our first full session, along with any practical information you need for joining an online appointment. This means you can read it in your own time. In our first session, we will go through the contract together, and you will have space to ask questions before agreeing how we will work together. It covers practical arrangements, confidentiality and its limits, fees, cancellations, contact between sessions, and online-session information.

The first counselling session is 50 minutes and is charged at my usual rate of £55. (A 10% concession is available for students and people on a low income. Please ask about this in our introductory call.) It is an opportunity to begin exploring what has brought you to counselling, what you would like support with, and what you hope may change. You don't need to prepare perfectly, know exactly what to say, or tell me your whole life story. You can bring whatever feels most important, difficult, confusing, or present for you at the time.

There's no obligation to continue after the first counselling session. If we both feel that working together is appropriate, we will agree the next steps collaboratively.