Lydia Chapman, BACP

Therapeutic approaches for online therapy and meaning

Existential Therapy looks at meaning, choice and responsibility in life. It helps people facing uncertainty, loss of direction or big life changes to clarify values and make decisions that fit who they want to be. Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relationships shape current patterns. This approach helps when trust, intimacy or repeated relationship problems cause distress by highlighting how to change those repeating patterns. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, gives practical tools to manage mood and anxiety by noticing thoughts and testing them with small behaviour changes. It can be useful for sleep problems, worry and everyday coping strategies. Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences and what feels most helpful, and then combine methods that suit the situation. That way the work adapts as needs change. Online therapy offers flexibility across several session types. Video calls let people use visual cues and longer conversations, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a quicker check-in is needed, and live chat or text-based messaging can suit brief reflections, journalling between sessions or people who prefer writing. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caring duties and life commitments while keeping the focus on practical progress and emotional change.