About Deborah
Deborah Ritchie uses a blend of evidence-informed approaches to help people who feel stuck or overwhelmed. She is a BACP counsellor with four years of work experience in the United Kingdom. Deborah aims to make the first steps into therapy feel manageable and straightforward for anyone who is nervous about starting.
Deborah sees people for stress and anxiety, low mood and depression, and difficulties with self-esteem and motivation. She also supports those coping with grief, relationship strain, intimacy-related worries, and issues connected to identity and sexuality.
How Deborah works
Addictions, ADHD and compassion fatigue are among other areas she addresses. Her background includes counselling in a college setting for people aged 16 and over, where she covered topics such as family relationships, sex and gender identity, self-harm and trauma. She has experience working with neurodiverse clients and with both short-term and longer-term sessions.
In sessions she focuses on clear, practical conversations. Deborah listens first, then helps people spot patterns that cause distress. Together they try small, manageable steps that can improve day-to-day coping and build confidence.
Her practice combines approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with client-centred and attachment-informed ideas. This mix helps people understand what matters to them and try new ways of responding to difficult thoughts and feelings.
Deborah lists 6 ways of working on the entry:
What Deborah works with
The areas below are the ones Deborah selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 4 |
| 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 Deborah's approaches translate to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify their values and take small actions that matter to them despite difficult thoughts or feelings. It is useful for anxiety, low mood and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on spotting unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviours to reduce distress and improve daily routines. It often helps with sleep problems, anxiety and low mood. Client-centred therapy puts the person's experience at the heart of sessions and uses empathic listening to create space for change and greater self-understanding.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Deborah will talk through options and try methods that fit the individual's goals and preferences. Decisions about which techniques to use are collaborative and can be reviewed as therapy progresses.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs. Video calls work well for in-depth conversations. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging can fit into busy days and make it simpler to keep a regular check-in without being on camera. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, study and family life, and to maintain continuity when schedules change.
Start online instead of waiting
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Common questions
What concerns can Deborah help with?
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How much clinical experience does she have?
What are her credentials and where is she based?
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How does payment and getting started work?
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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