About Matthew
Matthew Higgins focuses on helping people who feel overwhelmed by life changes and heavy emotions. He aims to make sessions simple and straightforward, giving people space to talk and be heard. Matthew uses a calm, listening approach so clients can name what is troubling them and think about next steps.
He began training as a counsellor later in life and brings previous work and life experience into the room. He completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy in Leeds in 2021 and holds BACP membership.
How Matthew works
During training he carried out 100 client hours in placements and continues to work with community organisations in North Yorkshire. Matthew works with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem and relationship difficulties. He also supports people facing addictions, anger, parenting challenges, sleep and eating issues, bipolar and career changes.
He is experienced supporting those coping with trauma and abuse and people navigating family conflict. His style is person-centred and non-judgemental. That means he spends much of the session listening and reflecting rather than directing.
He also adapts his approach when someone would benefit from a more focused or challenging way of working. Much of his current practice is with community and bereavement charities, and he also volunteers with the Samaritans. That mix of roles means he is used to holding difficult conversations and supporting people through crisis and loss.
Matthew lists 4 ways of working on the entry:
What Matthew works with
The areas below are the ones Matthew 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
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Sleeping disorders
- Trauma and abuse
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
Approaches suited to online work and life changes
Matthew uses person-centred and emotionally focused approaches that work well online. Client-centred therapy is about listening, acceptance and helping people find their own answers, which suits conversational formats like video or phone. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people identify and name painful emotions and attachment patterns, which can be explored effectively through talk and reflection in online sessions.Choosing the right approach is part of the therapy journey. The therapist will work collaboratively to decide which methods fit best with the client's goals, needs and style. That means adjusting pace, tone and techniques as the relationship develops rather than sticking to one rigid plan.
Online sessions offer practical flexibility. Video calls recreate face-to-face conversation, phone sessions work when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed, and live chat or text messaging suit brief exchanges or ongoing written reflections. These options make it easier to fit counselling around work, family life and travel while keeping continuity of care with the same therapist or registered professionals.
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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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