Chris Orton , BACP

Chris Orton offers a thoughtful, client-centred approach to therapy that helps people understand and change patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that feel overwhelming. He believes that facing difficult issues takes courage and that exploring them in depth can lead to lasting, meaningful change. Chris encourages self-exploration that increases self-understanding and supports clients to create healthier ways of living that better reflect their values and goals.

Central to his practice is a trust in each person’s capacity to grow through a strong therapeutic relationship. He aims to be fully present and empathically walk alongside clients as they explore emotions, thoughts and life experiences. While acknowledging that distress often arises from a mix of internal and external factors, Chris helps clients adapt the way they relate to those wider challenges so they can reclaim a greater sense of agency.

Trained to postgraduate level in Counselling and Psychotherapy and registered in the United Kingdom with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), he has recent experience working in a university counselling service with a diverse student population. His practice is integrative and informed by humanistic, person-centred, experiential, existential and phenomenological ideas, and he places respect for individuality, difference and diversity at the heart of his work. Throughout therapy he attends carefully to each person’s pace and preferred emotional depth, offering a compassionate, non-judgemental space to explore whatever is most important to the client.

Client-Centred and Existential Support Delivered Online

Client-centred therapy emphasises a respectful, non-directive relationship in which the therapist listens deeply and mirrors the client’s experience to help them gain clarity and self-acceptance. This approach is helpful for issues such as stress, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties and life transitions because it prioritises the client’s own pace and priorities.

Existential therapy focuses on meaning, choice and personal responsibility, helping people explore questions about identity, purpose, freedom and loss. It can be useful for clients facing grief, major life changes, feelings of emptiness or struggles with commitment and authenticity.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey and Chris works collaboratively with each person to identify what fits their needs, goals and preferences. He integrates ideas from his client-centred and existential training to tailor sessions so they feel relevant and useful to the individual.

Online therapy with Chris is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, providing flexibility to fit different schedules and communication styles. These options make it easier for people who travel, work irregular hours or live at a distance to access therapy with licensed professionals and to continue work between face-to-face opportunities.