About Richard
Richard Schafer helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, and low self-esteem. He supports those coping with relationship strain, major life changes, and feelings of emptiness or isolation. Richard is based in the United Kingdom and has 21 years of experience in talking therapies.
He is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. Richard trained in psychodynamic counselling in 2003 and began independent practice the following year.
How Richard works
He has over a decade working as a clinical lead in therapeutic residential settings within the statutory sector. That background informs his work with people who struggle with impulse control, substance misuse, abandonment concerns, or difficulties forming attachments. His approach is integrative.
That means he draws on psychodynamic ideas alongside Person Centred principles. In practice this could look like talking through past patterns that repeat today, then focusing on immediate feelings and personal goals. Sessions typically focus on what matters right now.
Richard helps people name damaging patterns, explore where they come from, and try different ways of coping. Conversations are practical and grounded, with space to reflect on deeper themes such as guilt, shame or forgiveness.
Over the years he has worked with a wide range of presenting problems including communication difficulties, control issues, fatherhood matters, divorce and separation, and antisocial or avoidant personality features. His experience aims to provide steady clinical support while adapting methods to each person's needs.
What Richard works with
The areas below are the ones Richard selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Money and financial issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 21 |
| 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 that guide online therapy
Richard commonly works with psychodynamic and Person Centred approaches. Psychodynamic work helps people identify repeating patterns and early influences that still affect feelings and behaviour today. Person Centred work focuses on meeting a person where they are, listening closely, and supporting personal choices and growth.Choosing the right approach is often part of the early sessions. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences and what feels most helpful. Together they will try ways of working and adapt the focus as needs change.
Online therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and messaging suit brief check-ins, flexible scheduling and people who find writing easier than speaking. These options make it simpler to fit therapy around work, family commitments or travel while keeping the therapeutic relationship central.
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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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