Lorraine McDonnell, BACP
Practical, compassionate support for overwhelming thoughts
Book with Lorraine- Years in practice
- 4
- Registration
- BACP
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Grief
- Focus
- Self esteem
About Lorraine
Lorraine McDonnell is a counsellor who draws on four years of practice to help people who feel overwhelmed by persistent worrying and negative thoughts. She holds BACP accreditation, which she uses alongside talking therapies to support adults through anxiety, low mood and other common struggles. Her manner is calm and direct, with an emphasis on clear, practical steps rather than jargon.
She offers straightforward work on unhelpful thinking patterns using elements of cognitive behavioural therapy.
Background and approach
That approach helps people spot thinking traps and try small, testable changes. Lorraine also uses Client-Centred Therapy to create a listening space where people can feel respected and understood as they make sense of their experience. Sessions often focus on pressing, everyday concerns such as coping with life changes, grief, stress and parenting pressures.
Lorraine also helps people dealing with addictions, self-esteem issues, sleep disruption, anger and career-related strain. She brings attention to the whole of someone’s life, including long-term difficulties like chronic illness, caregiver stress and isolation. Her style blends practical problem solving with time to reflect on deeper themes.
That can mean setting short-term goals one week and talking through emotional patterns the next. People can expect a mix of tools, conversation and gentle challenge aimed at clearer thinking and steadier moods. Lorraine works with adults in the United Kingdom and conducts sessions in English.
She offers several online formats so people can choose a way of meeting that fits their days and routines.
What Lorraine works with
Everything Lorraine lists, in their own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Lorraine helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Lorraine lists
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused 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 Lorraine’s approaches work online
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening closely and reflecting back what matters to you. It helps people feel heard and build their own understanding of difficult situations, whether that’s grief, low mood or parenting stress.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thinking and behaviour that keep problems going. It involves simple experiments and practical exercises to test new ways of thinking, which can be useful for anxiety, sleep issues and unhelpful worry.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Lorraine will discuss your needs, goals and preferences and then try methods that fit. That collaborative process means approaches can be adjusted as you go, combining listening and practical tools in ways that suit you.
Online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation without travel, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can be useful for shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging helps people who prefer writing their thoughts. These options offer flexibility so therapy can happen around work, caring duties or other commitments.
Questions people ask about Lorraine
What issues does Lorraine focus on?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem and coping with life changes. Parenting, addictions, sleep problems and compassion fatigue are also within her areas of focus.
What style of therapy can I expect?
Her style combines client-centred listening with practical techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused work. Sessions balance reflective conversation with actions you can try between meetings.
How much experience does she have?
She has four years of professional experience working with adults on a range of emotional and practical concerns. That experience informs a steady, pragmatic approach.
What credentials and location apply?
She is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP. She practices from the United Kingdom.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only. International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions offered?
Available formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. You can choose the format that fits your schedule and needs.
What does therapy cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and is managed through a subscription model. The subscription can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Lorraine?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. You can then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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