About Richard
Richard Whitenstall is a counsellor with 11 years of experience who works from the United Kingdom. He holds BACP accreditation, and he aims to create a calm space where people can talk about things that feel heavy. He keeps sessions paced to each person's needs and focuses on practical steps toward change.
Richard began his counselling work in 2013 with placements at Hampshire charities No Limits and Cruse. He later set up and ran a counselling service for Positive21 in London and co-authored a book supporting men’s mental health, with all proceeds going to Mind.
How Richard works
These roles shaped his interest in men's issues and LGBT matters. His experience also includes project work supporting LGBT young people facing risks such as sexual exploitation, domestic abuse, and neglect. He has delivered talks to other mental health professionals, including a presentation at the CAMHS County Forum in 2014 on risks faced by LGBT youth.
That background informs his practical, down-to-earth style. In sessions Richard focuses on the problems people bring now and on what can change. He uses client-centred listening alongside cognitive and solution-focused techniques to help people make manageable adjustments.
He addresses anxiety, depression, stress, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, addiction and self-harm, and issues around identity and gender. Outside clinical work he co-produces a podcast called It’s Not You, It’s Them, which discusses mental health and personal growth. To begin, clients use the platform Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and arrange sessions based on availability.
Richard lists 3 ways of working on the entry:
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
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Attachment issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Intimacy-related issues
- Men's issues
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 11 |
| 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 Richard’s approaches work online
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s experience. The counsellor offers acceptance and reflection, helping people feel heard and decide what matters to them. This approach suits people wanting a supportive space to talk through identity, grief, or relationship worries.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions. Sessions often involve identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and trying practical experiments to change them. This method can help with anxiety, depression, sleep problems and stress management.
Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on small, achievable steps and what is already working. It helps people build on strengths and set clear short-term goals for things like coping with life changes or reducing addictive behaviours.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Richard will collaborate with each person to agree which methods fit their goals and preferences. He adjusts the mix of listening, cognitive techniques and goal-focused tasks as therapy progresses.
Online sessions are offered by registered or accredited professionals and include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video calls are good for face-to-face conversation, phone sessions suit lower bandwidth or a quicker check-in, and chat or messaging can fit around busy days or be used between appointments. These options make it easier to schedule regular sessions and keep therapy consistent.
Start online instead of waiting
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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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