Ian Derry
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is currently not accepting new clients at this time.
This professional is currently not accepting new clients at this time.
About me
I'm a person-centred counsellor offering online sessions to adults across the UK who are navigating the pain and complexity of bereavement. My approach is warm, reflective, and gently challenging, giving you space to explore your grief without judgment or pressure to "move on" before you're ready.
As a 60+ gay man, I understand what it means to carry loss in a world that doesn't always acknowledge it. Many of us have grieved relationships, identities, or versions of ourselves in silence, without recognition or permission to mourn fully. I know what it's like to lose someone important and feel like there's no room for the full weight of that absence, or to grieve while still trying to hold everything else together.
Before becoming a counsellor, I spent over 40 years working as an international cabin crew. Those decades gave me a deep respect for human diversity and taught me that everyone grieves differently, and that loss takes many forms—some visible, some carried quietly for years. That experience shaped the way I work: with empathy, patience, and genuine curiosity about the unique ways we make sense of what we've lost.
You might be feeling lost, numb, overwhelmed, or caught between wanting to remember and needing to let go. Perhaps you're grieving a death, a relationship, a future that won't happen, or parts of yourself that have changed. Whatever form your loss takes, therapy is a space where you don't have to explain or justify your pain—a space where your grief is honoured and your feelings are valid.
I'm comfortable sitting with difficult emotions and exploring the deeper questions grief often brings about meaning, identity, and who we become after loss. I also believe that humour, warmth, and moments of lightness still belong in grief; sometimes a shared laugh helps us remember we're still here. My hope is that you'll leave sessions feeling truly heard, less alone in your sorrow, and with a renewed sense of your own strength as you continue this journey on your terms.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a qualified Person-Centred Counsellor and a registered member of both the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). I work within the ethical frameworks of both organisations to ensure a professional, safe, and confidential service.
My background as cabin crew exposed me to a wide range of cultures, emotions, and human stories—including many experiences of loss, transition, and grief expressed in different ways. That foundation gave me a natural understanding of how diverse our responses to loss can be, and deepened my respect for the resilience people carry, often invisibly.
I am also a bereavement volunteer connected to a hospice, where I support individuals and families navigating end-of-life loss. This work has given me a grounded, compassionate understanding of grief in its rawest forms and reinforced my commitment to walking alongside people during some of life's hardest moments.
I continue to develop professionally through regular supervision and ongoing learning, ensuring that I bring both care and competence to this deeply important work.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations. In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£70.00 per session
Additional information
- Session length: 50 minutes
- Free Introductory Zoom session: - Booking via website
- Session format: Online via Zoom (UK clients only)
- Availability: Weekdays only
- Memberships: Registered Member of the BACP and the NCPS
- Ethical Practice: I work within both the BACP and NCPS Ethical Frameworks
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Further information
Therapy with me is led by you. You have full autonomy to choose when and how often to meet; there’s no fixed schedule. Sessions are a time for you to slow down, reflect, and start to untangle whatever feels too heavy to carry alone.
Clients often come to me when they’re tired of pretending everything’s fine, when the pressure to keep going feels too much, or when life changes have left them uncertain about who they are. I provide a safe, supportive space where you can explore all of those, the confusion, the sadness, the frustration, and together, we can begin to make sense of it.
You don’t need to have the right words or a clear goal when we start. What matters is that you show up as you are, and we’ll take it from there.
