Matthew Higgins , BACP

Matthew Higgins began his counselling career later in life, bringing a wide range of life and work experience to his therapeutic practice. He works from a person-centred, non-judgemental stance and gives clients space to express themselves while offering attentive listening and empathic responses. For Matthew, therapy is grounded in respect and dignity - a place where people can bring their whole selves without fear of labels and where their experiences are acknowledged and understood.

He qualified in Leeds, West Yorkshire, in 2021 with a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy and completed 100 hours of client work during placement. He continues to work with a charitable counselling service in North Yorkshire and with a charity specialising in bereavement support, and he also contributes to the Samaritans, supporting people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts or crisis.

Matthew works with adults of all ages but often finds strong rapport with more mature clients facing issues such as bereavement, new relationships after separation or loss, blending families later in life, redundancy, career change, loneliness and isolation. He believes counselling should not be formulaic and, while his training was rooted in the Carl Rogers person-centred approach, he recognises that some clients benefit from approaches that are more directional or that gently challenge unhelpful views and behaviours. Matthew is a member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Sessions with Matthew

Matthew draws primarily on client-centred therapy, which focuses on creating a supportive, non-judgemental space where the client leads the conversation and the therapist offers empathic listening and unconditional positive regard. This approach is often helpful for people working through loss, self-esteem concerns, anxiety or major life changes.

He also incorporates attachment-based ideas, which pay attention to how early relationships shape current patterns of relating and emotional needs. That perspective can be useful for clients dealing with relationship difficulties, grief, or long-standing patterns of feeling disconnected.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Matthew works with each person to identify goals, preferences and what feels most helpful, adapting methods over time so the therapy fits the client rather than forcing a single model.

Online therapy using video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging offers flexibility for people with busy schedules, mobility limits or those living away from urban centres. These options make it easier to connect with licensed professionals from different locations and to continue therapy through life transitions, while keeping appointment formats that suit individual needs and routines.