Ian Smith, BACP
Ian Smith welcomes people who are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or uncertain about their next step.
About Ian
Ian Smith welcomes people who are feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or uncertain about their next step. He offers practical, down-to-earth support for issues such as stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, trauma and abuse, and relationship or intimacy concerns. Ian uses straightforward language and a calm presence to help people talk through what matters to them.
Ian has ten years' experience working in social services and mental health settings. He has supported people from many backgrounds with a wide range of concerns, including parenting pressures, grief, ADHD, eating and sleeping difficulties, and career changes.
Background and approach
He also works with people facing complex or overlapping challenges such as chronic illness, caregiving stress, codependency and attachment issues. In sessions Ian starts from where a person is right now. He looks for what already helps and builds on those strengths.
Together he and the client set practical, manageable goals and try approaches that suit the person's pace and preferences. Ian draws on a mix of therapy styles to suit different needs, including trauma-focused work, acceptance and commitment ideas, attachment-based perspectives and cognitive behavioural techniques.
He aims for clear strategies people can use between sessions as well as space to make sense of painful experiences. Sessions are offered in English and can be arranged online by people in the United Kingdom and internationally. Ian focuses on creating a non-judgemental space where clients can explore feelings and try new ways of coping.
Details from the counsellor's public professional profile · registration number listed
← Browse all counsellorsRegistration
| Body | Registration number | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| BACP | 386318 | November 2026 |
Registration details are as listed on the counsellor's public profile. You can check any number with the registering body.
Sessions and payment
Sessions are held online through our partner platform, by video, phone or messaging depending on the counsellor.
Cost Costs are shown on the partner platform before you commit. If cost is a concern, ask about reduced-fee options.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Ian lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- ADHD
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Ways of working Ian names
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor lists and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches and online support
Ian uses trauma-focused work to help people process painful events and reduce the ways those memories affect daily life. That approach helps when distress is linked to past harm and when a person wants to understand and lessen its impact. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT focuses on helping people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without being driven by them, and then take steps that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, depression and coping with change. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and can help with intimacy, trust and relational worries.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Ian will talk with each person about their goals, preferences and what has or hasn’t helped before, and then recommend ways of working together. He aims to be collaborative so clients feel involved in choosing methods that suit them.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. Video calls let people use verbal and visual cues for deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is low or when a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat or text messaging can help with brief updates, homework or those who prefer writing to speaking. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caring duties and travel, and provide flexibility for different needs.
Frequently asked
What kinds of problems can Ian help with?
He supports people with stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting pressures and many related concerns listed in his profile.
What is his general therapeutic style?
Ian uses a down-to-earth, collaborative style. He combines practical techniques with time to make sense of feelings, and he works at the client’s pace.
How much experience does he have?
He has ten years' experience working in social services and mental health settings with a wide range of presenting issues.
What credentials and location are listed?
He is listed with BACP and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and he accepts clients internationally.
What session formats are available?
Ian offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to give flexibility in how people connect.
How are costs handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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