- Years in practice
- 25
- Registration
- BACP
- Languages
- English, Italian
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Ilaria
Ilaria Calussi is a counsellor who helps parents and individuals facing parenting challenges. She writes plainly and listens closely to what matters to each person. Her style is grounded and down-to-earth, so conversations stay focused on practical next steps rather than jargon.
With 25 years of experience, Ilaria draws on roles in charities and the NHS. She has worked in school-based services, social care, and the National Autism Unit. She also runs a independent practice and lectures in psychology and counselling at the Open University.
Background and approach
Her work often centres on relationship and attachment issues, trauma and abuse, ADHD and neurodiversity, and the stresses that come with caring responsibilities. She helps people talk through parenting strain, blended family pressures, separation, and communication breakdowns. She also supports people managing chronic illness, codependency, and feelings of emptiness.
Therapy with Ilaria blends relational ideas, attachment theory, and cognitive-behavioural techniques. She uses Emotionally-Focused and narrative ways of working where these suit the situation. Sessions tend to focus on building connections, clearer communication, and small changes that make daily life easier.
Ilaria speaks English and Italian. She brings lived experience as a solo parent and someone who is neurodivergent and queer to her practice. That background informs a practical, empathetic approach that aims to help people build resilience and move towards change.
What Ilaria works with
Everything Ilaria lists, in their own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Ilaria helps people with.
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Ilaria lists
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Gottman Method
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Systemic Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
How attachment, CBT and emotionally-focused work translate online
Attachment-Based Therapy emphasises relationships and how early connections shape current patterns. Online sessions use conversation and guided exercises to identify attachment needs and to practise new ways of relating. This can help with parenting difficulties and strained partnerships. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. In online sessions a counsellor helps spot unhelpful patterns and tests small behaviour changes between appointments. That approach is useful for anxiety, stress and managing daily routines. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) centres on feelings and how they affect communication. Through focused conversations and exercises, clients learn to express needs and respond differently in relationships, which can improve closeness and reduce repeated conflicts. Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will discuss goals and preferences and then suggest which methods to try together. It is a collaborative process that can shift over time as needs change. Online sessions offer practical flexibility. Video calls let people see non-verbal cues and work more directly on interaction. Phone sessions need less bandwidth and can fit during a short break. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, written reflections, or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into busy family life or work schedules.Questions people ask about Ilaria
What parenting concerns can be raised in sessions?
She works with parents on issues such as parenting strain, blended family challenges, communication problems, and the effects of separation or divorce.
What is the therapeutic style like in sessions?
Sessions are relational and practical, combining attachment ideas with cognitive-behavioural and emotionally-focused methods to improve connection and daily routines.
What experience does this counsellor bring?
She has 25 years of experience across charities and the NHS, including school services, social care roles, and work at the National Autism Unit.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practises in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and Italian, and she is available to work with international clients.
What session formats are available online?
Sessions can be arranged as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different preferences and schedules.
How is cost handled for therapy?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with this counsellor?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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