Gillian Cooper

Gillian Cooper is a licensed therapist in the United Kingdom with nine years of professional experience, supporting adults and young people across a range of organisations and in private practice.

She works with clients on stress and anxiety management, relationship difficulties, family conflict, separation from children and matters related to family court, teenage challenges, trauma and abuse, panic, self-esteem, addictions, changes in sleeping and eating habits, and sexual problems.

Gillian offers support for those facing bereavement and other losses, drawing on extensive lived experience in helping people cope with grief and loss.

Her professional background includes roles within a trauma organisation for women and young girls, private care settings, MIND UK, and NHS hospital bereavement services.

As a counselling tutor she has delivered training up to Level 4 qualifications, and in learning and development she has helped young and adult learners to define life purpose and career goals, build inner confidence, structure themselves, develop negotiation skills, and strengthen resilience.

Gillian has experience supporting neuro-divergent adults and young people, individuals in crisis, those presenting with challenging behaviours, and people who have experienced various forms of abuse and trauma.

As an attestation of her Catholic faith, she can incorporate Biblical principles and Christian values into her therapeutic work while fully acknowledging inclusion and valuing the perspectives of others across all diversities.

Gillian describes her practice as a blend of therapy and counselling. Her counselling work typically follows Solution Focused Brief Therapy, concentrating on the here-and-now and practical ways to manage current feelings and day-to-day issues. Her therapeutic work uses Psychoanalytical Therapy to explore the back story of difficulties and understand how past experiences may influence present situations. Both approaches are collaborative, with client and therapist working together to achieve agreed goals.

When working with someone she aims to make the client the primary concern, provide a personalised approach, and create an open, non-judgemental environment for sharing thoughts and feelings. She upholds confidentiality and records session work appropriately. Gillian seeks to respect each person’s capacity to problem solve, offer a therapy space committed to doing no harm and enhancing wellbeing, and to construct a practical “road map” for how sessions might unfold - a road trip the client can drive toward desired outcomes.

Taking the first step toward a more fulfilling life can be difficult. If someone is ready to begin that journey, Gillian aims to support, empower and guide them, and welcomes the opportunity to work toward the best possible outcomes.