Lesley Papper , BACP

Lesley Papper is an integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor and a registered member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). She has practised across a range of settings and currently works with Betterhelp while also maintaining an independent private practice; she is contactable at lesleypappertherapy@gmail.com.

Lesley creates a warm, accepting space where individuals can explore the thoughts, emotions, and patterns that affect their wellbeing. She recognises that people respond to life’s pressures in many different ways and that coping strategies which once helped can later become limiting or harmful. Rather than judging those strategies, she supports clients to discover alternative, healthier ways of managing that align with their values and goals.

Lesley balances a focus on immediate concerns with attention to longer term change, working collaboratively to identify where difficulties may have originated and how they are maintained in the present. She encourages self-acceptance and self-care as foundations for growth, inviting clients to take stock of their lives with kindness and to build structure and resilience that support lasting change.

Her clinical experience includes supporting people with grief, low mood and depression, addiction and eating disorders, anxiety and stress, survivors of sexual violence, and individuals with hidden or physical disabilities and neurodiverse profiles. Lesley offers short-term or longer-term therapy, adapting pace and focus to each client’s needs, and she approaches the therapeutic relationship as a key resource for healing and progress.

Integrative approaches and online therapy options

Lesley draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and to take actions that align with what matters most in their lives. This approach can be useful for anxiety, stress, low mood, and coping with life transitions.

She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which prioritises empathy, unconditional positive regard, and a nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship. This way of working helps clients explore their experience at their own pace and build self-acceptance and emotional insight.

In addition, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is applied when practical strategies for changing unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns are needed. CBT can support people working with anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, and patterns of avoidance or unhelpful coping.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey. Lesley works collaboratively with clients to identify which methods fit best with their needs, goals, and preferences and can combine elements from different approaches to create a personalised plan.

Online therapy with Lesley is available by video call, phone session, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules, geographic distance, or differing communication styles. These options make it easier for people to access consistent care from licensed professionals and therapists while fitting sessions into everyday life.