Counsellor profile
Colleen Downey, BACP
BACP counsellor - relationships and parenting support
Continue with ColleenAbout
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Attachment issues
- Parenting strain
About Colleen
Colleen Downey is a BACP counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with six years of experience. She works with adults on issues such as depression, stress and anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and eating concerns. Colleen also supports people with parenting strain, grief and problems with self‑esteem.
Her way of working draws on psychodynamic therapy. Sessions look at how past experiences and current patterns affect feelings and behaviour. She helps people notice repeated reactions and the relationships that shape them.
Colleen approaches conversations as a place to talk things through and make sense of what feels stuck. She listens for themes such as attachment, control, and communication problems. Where relevant, she will consider issues like dissociation, obsessive thinking or mood variation alongside the person’s everyday life.
Practical concerns such as parenting pressures, caregiver stress and compassion fatigue are part of her caseload. She also offers support around divorce and separation, anger, guilt and shame, and eating and hoarding problems. Sessions aim to surface patterns that contribute to those struggles.
Her background includes working with mood disorders and complex presentations such as bipolar features and OCD symptoms. Colleen accepts international clients and works in English. She asks people to use the site process to match and book a first session.
How sessions work
How psychodynamic work translates to online sessions
Psychodynamic therapy explores how early relationships and repeated patterns shape current feelings and behaviour. In practice this means noticing recurrent reactions, unspoken expectations, and emotional responses that repeat across relationships. It can be useful for issues such as attachment difficulties, long‑standing anxiety, grief and relationship strain.This approach often involves reflective conversation and linking present difficulties to past experience. The therapist and client treat deciding on an approach as a collaborative process. Together they will review what seems most helpful and adjust the focus as themes become clearer.
The therapist’s biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the available online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into work or family life. They can reduce travel time, allow for shorter check‑in meetings when needed, and be more practical for people living abroad. Registered or accredited professionals adapt the pace and length of sessions to match a client’s practical needs and day to day commitments.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
6+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with depression, stress and anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and eating issues, and also supports people with parenting challenges and grief.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She uses psychodynamic therapy, focusing on how past experiences and relationship patterns influence current feelings and behaviour.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Colleen has six years of experience working with adults on a range of mood and relationship concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds BACP and practises in the United Kingdom.
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Yes. She accepts international clients and offers sessions in English.
What session formats does she offer?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current online session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to book?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.