Lorraine McDonnell
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About me
About Me
I am a BACP Accredited Counsellor and CBT Therapist offering a warm, supportive and non-judgemental space where you can feel safe to talk openly about whatever you may be experiencing.
Perhaps you are struggling with anxiety, low mood, stress, grief or trauma. You may feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected from yourself, or unsure about how to move forward. Sometimes, past experiences can continue to affect our confidence, relationships, emotional wellbeing or ability to cope with everyday life.
Whatever brings you to counselling, you don't need to have everything figured out before you begin. We can start from where you are and work together at a pace that feels manageable for you.
My approach integrates Person-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT). This allows us to tailor our work to you as an individual, providing a compassionate space to understand your experiences while also exploring practical ways to manage difficulties, build on your strengths and create positive change.
You are the expert in your own experience, and together we can explore what feels most helpful for you and your journey.
How I Work
My approach is collaborative, trauma-informed and tailored to your individual needs. I integrate Person-Centred Counselling, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), drawing on different therapeutic approaches depending on what feels most helpful for you.
I also hold a Certificate in CBT for Trauma and have undertaken additional training in trauma, attachment, and pregnancy and baby loss.
Through CBT, we can explore the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and physical responses, and how these may be affecting your wellbeing. Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) can help you identify your strengths, explore what you would like to be different, and focus on realistic steps towards positive change. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help you develop a different relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions and reconnect with what matters most to you. Compassion-Focused approaches can support you in developing greater self-compassion and reducing harsh self-criticism.
My aim is not to tell you what to do. Instead, I will work alongside you to help you understand yourself, recognise your strengths, develop helpful coping strategies and make choices that feel right for you. Together, we can work at a pace that feels manageable, creating space for greater understanding, confidence and meaningful change.
Areas I Can Help With
I work with adults experiencing a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties, including:
Anxiety and excessive worry
Depression and low mood
Stress and emotional overwhelm
Workplace stress and work-related difficulties
Low self-esteem and confidence
Trauma and complex trauma
Loneliness and social isolation
Bereavement, grief and loss
Miscarriage, infertility and pregnancy loss
Infant loss, neonatal loss, stillbirth and baby loss
Life transitions and personal challenges
Faith and spirituality-related concerns
I understand that these difficulties often overlap. Therapy can provide a safe space to explore not only what is happening now, but also the experiences and patterns that may be contributing to how you feel.
EAP & Healthcare Insurance
Alongside private practice, I have experience working within bereavement services and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) settings.
I understand that EAP counselling is often time-limited, so I work collaboratively with you to identify what feels most important, establish achievable goals and make the most of the sessions available.
I also work with clients accessing counselling through healthcare insurance providers, subject to individual insurer requirements and referral arrangements. If you are accessing therapy through your healthcare insurance, I recommend checking your policy to confirm your counselling cover and any requirements for accessing treatment.
A Safe Space to Talk
I know that reaching out for counselling can feel daunting. You may be unsure whether therapy is right for you, or perhaps you have never spoken to anyone about what you are experiencing before.
My priority is to create a space where you feel genuinely heard, respected and accepted.
You don't need to know exactly what you want to say or where to begin. We can take time to understand what is happening for you and work together towards greater clarity, confidence and emotional resilience.
How We Can Work Together
I offer:
Online counselling
Telephone counselling
Face-to-face counselling where available
I provide both short-term and longer-term counselling, depending on your circumstances and therapeutic needs.
Whether you are accessing therapy privately, through an EAP or through healthcare insurance, I aim to provide a compassionate and professional service tailored to you.
If you feel ready to take the first step, or simply want to explore whether counselling could help, you are very welcome to get in touch.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a BACP Accredited Counsellor and CBT Therapist with professional training in both Person-Centred Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I have experience working with adults from diverse backgrounds, supporting a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, grief and loss, stress, and life transitions.
My work is grounded in an integrative approach, combining a strong relational foundation with practical CBT tools to support meaningful and lasting change. I have experience working with clients in both short-term and longer-term therapy, tailoring my approach to each individual’s needs and goals.
I am committed to ongoing professional development and regularly engage in training and supervision to ensure my practice remains ethical, safe, and effective.
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.
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£50.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
- Free initial telephone session
- I offer concession rates or sliding scale pricing
- Payment by Bank transfer
- Remote/Online £50
- Face to Face £55
When I work
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Tuesday Morning and Afternoon based in Ormskirk Centre for face to face
Further information
Our sessions can be tailored around specific issues or you may want to discuss more generic issues that may be troubling you to understand how you're feeling.
- 50-minute counselling sessions via online/phone
- Short-term or open-ended counselling session
- Days/Weekend availability/Flexible scheduling
Please reach out...
If you feel I can help, please contact me today via email or phone, and we can have a chat about what you want and need. Please don’t think you are on this journey alone.
*Please note - I always aim to respond back to you within 24 hours, except over the weekend/Bank Holidays. It may be advisable to check your spam/junk mail box.
- Hold Enhanced DBS
- ICO Registration
