About Alan
Alan Opfer welcomes people who are struggling with addiction, anxiety, low mood or major life changes. He keeps sessions straightforward and practical, helping people talk through pressing problems and find achievable next steps. Alan works in English and practises from the United Kingdom.
He has three years of professional experience working with alcohol and substance concerns, including support before and after detox, harm-reduction, and developing coping strategies. That lived experience of addiction and recovery informs his approach and helps him connect with people who have faced similar challenges.
How Alan works
Alan draws on person-centred ways of working that place the client at the heart of the process. He aims to shape sessions around each person’s needs, listening without judgement and responding to what matters most to them. Mindfulness techniques and short-term solution-focused work are also part of his practice when they fit a person’s goals.
Before moving into therapeutic practice he spent time as a housing support worker and has familiarity with multi-disciplinary and community services. He is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP, which appears in his listed credentials.
Sessions cover a broad range of concerns beyond addiction, including stress, anger, self-esteem, grief, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, career worries and depression. Alan aims to provide a steady, practical presence while people work through difficult experiences. To begin, a person completes a short questionnaire and is matched before scheduling a session.
Alan uses straightforward steps so people can focus on the work rather than on process or jargon.
Alan lists 3 ways of working on the entry:
What Alan works with
The areas below are the ones Alan selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Anger management
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Phobias
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 3 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Practical approaches for online therapy
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person. The therapist follows the client's lead, offering support that is shaped around the client's experiences and goals. This approach can help when someone needs space to understand feelings and decide on priorities.Mindfulness Therapy uses simple exercises to increase awareness of thoughts and bodily sensations. It can help with stress, anxiety and managing urges by grounding attention in the present and building everyday coping skills.
Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on practical steps and small changes that move a person toward their goals. Sessions tend to be goal-orientated and short-term, useful when someone wants clear ideas for next steps.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss the options and together they will decide what fits the person's needs, goals and preferences. That collaborative conversation helps shape a plan that can be adjusted over time.
Online formats make it easier to fit therapy around daily life. Video calls let people talk face to face; phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or camera use is not wanted. Live chat and text messaging suit brief check-ins, written reflection, or people who prefer not to speak on the phone. These options aim to offer flexibility and consistent access to support.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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