Ilaria Calussi, BACP
Ilaria Calussi is a counsellor with over 25 years of practice who helps people facing relationship strain, parenting challenges, and the impacts of trauma and abuse.
About Ilaria
Ilaria Calussi is a counsellor with over 25 years of practice who helps people facing relationship strain, parenting challenges, and the impacts of trauma and abuse. They also support people dealing with ADHD-related concerns and issues linked to attachment and adoption. Ilaria speaks English and Italian and works with clients across the United Kingdom and internationally.
They take a relational and systemic approach, focusing on how connections with others shape feelings and behaviour.
Background and approach
Sessions are practical and down to earth, aiming to make difficult patterns easier to notice and change. Ilaria uses a mix of conversational work and structured techniques according to what each person needs. Before independent practice, Ilaria worked in charities and the NHS for more than two decades.
Roles have included managing school-based services, supervising social care teams, and a position at the National Autism Unit with autistic people and their families. They also lecture in psychology and counselling at the Open University. Their approach draws on attachment ideas, trauma-focused methods, cognitive behavioural tools, and emotionally-focused work.
This blend helps with problems such as dissociation, codependency, communication difficulties, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and the aftermath of separation or domestic violence. Ilaria describes a straightforward, empathetic style shaped by personal experience of solo parenting, neurodivergence, and queer relationships.
In sessions they aim to listen closely, help people tell their story, and find small steps that lead to clearer thinking and steadier relationships.
Details from the counsellor's public professional profile · registration number listed
← Browse all counsellorsRegistration
| Body | Registration number | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| BACP | 25320 | September 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 Ilaria lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Ways of working Ilaria names
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Gottman Method
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Systemic Therapy
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 working
Ilaria draws on trauma-focused methods that help people make sense of distressing events and reduce their ongoing impact. This approach looks at how traumatic memories affect thoughts, feelings and relationships, and uses practical steps to build greater stability and calm.Attachment-Based Therapy is also central to their work, concentrating on how early bonds shape current connections. It helps people recognise attachment patterns, repair ruptures in relationships, and develop safer ways of relating to others.
Client-Centred Therapy underpins the way sessions are run, with a focus on listening without judgement and following the person's pace. This creates space for people to tell their story and decide what change feels right for them.
Finding the right approach is collaborative. The therapist will discuss options, try methods that suit the individual's goals, and adapt as work progresses. Decisions about techniques are made together, based on needs, preferences and what feels helpful in session.
Online work uses video, phone, live chat or text-based messaging so people can choose what fits their life. Video calls are useful for in-depth conversations, phone sessions suit those with lower bandwidth, and messaging can be helpful for brief check-ins or reflective writing between sessions. These options make therapy more flexible for different schedules and communication styles.
Frequently asked
What kinds of concerns can I bring to therapy?
She supports people with relationship and family difficulties, parenting strains, trauma and abuse, ADHD-related issues, and related areas such as attachment or adoption questions.
How would you describe the therapeutic style?
Sessions are relational and practical, combining empathic listening with structured techniques from several approaches to help people notice patterns and try different ways of responding.
What experience does the counsellor have?
Ilaria has more than 25 years working across charities and the NHS, including roles managing school-based services, supervising social care teams, and work at the National Autism Unit.
What are the counsellor's credentials and where are they based?
Ilaria is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Italian, and Ilaria accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different communication preferences.
How are costs and payment arranged?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work with this counsellor?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions according to the therapist's availability.