About David
David Atlay is a counsellor with ten years' experience who works from a straightforward, human-centred perspective. He is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling. David focuses on helping people cope with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and life changes.
He keeps sessions simple and practical. People talk about what is worrying them and David listens without judgement. He helps clients spot patterns that hold them back and tries out small changes that can make day-to-day life easier.
How David works
David uses client-centred work to place the person’s own goals and experience at the heart of the sessions. He also draws on cognitive behavioural ideas to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking and behaviour. Together these approaches aim to build new coping skills and reduce painful feelings.
Many of his sessions focus on common concerns such as depression, relationship difficulties, grief, addictions and parenting strain. He also supports people facing specific issues like adoption and foster care, attachment worries, body image and eating-related problems. Sessions include practical steps, reflective conversation and clear goals to measure progress.
David describes his style as warm, patient and motivating, with an emphasis on helping people feel more energised and in control of their lives.
David lists 2 ways of working on the entry:
What David works with
The areas below are the ones David selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Eating and food-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 10 |
| 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
How his approaches work online and in sessions
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person's experience and goals. The counsellor listens carefully, reflects what matters to you and supports you to find your own solutions. This approach helps when someone needs understanding, reassurance and space to make decisions.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings and actions. It uses practical exercises and small experiments to change unhelpful thinking and behaviour. CBT can be useful for anxiety, low mood and tackling patterns that keep problems going.
Finding the best way to work together is part of the process. The therapist will discuss your needs and preferences and agree on an approach that fits your goals. That collaborative decision can change over time as new issues come up or progress is made.
Online formats such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging offer different practical benefits. Video sessions let you work visually and keep close contact. Phone sessions are helpful when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and messaging suit people who prefer shorter, more frequent contact or who find writing easier than speaking. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and travel commitments.
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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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