Steven Webster

Hi, I’m Steven, a qualified counsellor offering online therapy for adults and couples across the UK. I provide a calm, confidential space where you can slow down, talk openly, and begin to understand what’s really going on beneath the surface. My work focuses on existential crises, supporting digital nomads, helping intercultural couples and navigating what open or non-monogamous relationships mean for you and your partner.

My therapeutic approach is person-centred therapy, informed by existential therapy and philosophy. This means we won’t rush to fix or label what you’re going through. Instead, we’ll take time to explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences more deeply, helping you understand the patterns that may be keeping you stuck, before processing the accompanying emotions. Yes, I will listen and relate empathetically, however, I will challenge you and will do so with sensitivity and dignity. 

I aim to keep the work grounded, human, and accessible, without overly academic language, so that therapy feels relevant to your everyday life. Clients often come to me feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or disconnected from themselves, and finish our work together having gained greater clarity, emotional steadiness, and a stronger sense of confidence and direction.

Digital Nomads & Remote Workers

Thinking of packing everything up and escaping to another country where life is easier, cheaper and without the social pressures of home? The idea of becoming a digital nomad can be deeply appealing. It represents far more than the freedom to work from anywhere or explore new places, it can symbolise escape, reinvention, autonomy, or the hope that a change in location will bring a greater sense of fulfilment. For some of us, the dream of life abroad reflects a longing to leave behind difficult relationships, burnout, loneliness, or aspects of ourselves we no longer recognise. Whilst travel can be enriching and transformative, it's also worth asking what the journey represents psychologically, and whether the life you are seeking is one that can be created internally as well as externally.

The reality of long-term travel is emotionally more complex than the images we see online. Constantly moving every few months can make it difficult to establish meaningful relationships, maintain routines, or experience a lasting sense of belonging within a society whether that is at home or abroad. Living abroad alone can bring unexpected loneliness, uncertainty, decision fatigue, and the challenge of continually adapting to new cultures, languages, and environments. If you're already on the road, therapy can provide a consistent and grounding space amidst constant change, somewhere to process your experiences, explore identity, navigate relationships, and make sense of the emotional highs and lows that can accompany a nomadic lifestyle.

I work with clients who are considering taking the leap, those already living as digital nomads, and people returning home after extended periods abroad. Together, we can explore the hopes, fantasies, and expectations attached to leaving, whilst also making space for the realities that emerge along the way. For those coming back to the UK, I offer support with reverse culture shock, grief for the life left behind, questions of identity and belonging, and the often-overlooked process of reintegration. Whether you're searching for freedom, trying to build a life that feels more authentic, or finding your way home again, therapy can offer a place to reflect, reconnect with yourself, and move forward with greater clarity.

Existential Crises

Existential crisis, sometimes referred to as identity crisis, can hit us at any stage in our lives, however, they are often most profoundly felt in our teenage years, quarter life (late 20s-early 30s), mid-life and later life. There are typical four broad themes we are confronted with:

• Firstly death and the fear of time running out with the urge to secure our legacy, whatever that means for us, in other words how we will be remembered and by whom.
• Meaninglessness and the search for purpose in our lives, figuring out how we assign meaning and purpose and whether that is enough to motivate us.
• Loneliness is the realisation that we must live our lives alone, no matter how well we relate to others and surround ourselves with community, there will always be a gap between your experience and what others think you are going through. (Think of that mental image of feeling isolated in a room packed full of people).
• Freedom of responsibility is the final theme which asks how comfortable we are with the consequences of our decisions. Can we bear that responsibility and how easy we can make choices that are available to us. 

Many people reach out for therapy during periods of change or uncertainty, when something no longer feels right, but it’s not yet clear what needs to shift. This might include career changes, relationship transitions, retirement, reaching a landmark birthday such as turning 30 or 50, or a broader sense of questioning your direction, identity, or purpose. These moments can often impact our confidence and sense of self, leaving us feeling unsure or disconnected.

With an existential perspective, I offer space to those exploring deeper questions around who you are, what matters to you, and how you want to live. This can be especially helpful if you feel stuck, lack confidence in your decisions, feel disconnected from yourself, or caught between external expectations and what you genuinely want. Together, we will explore those four themes and how they impact life as it is now for you, where I will challenge you, gently, whilst giving you plenty of opportunities to self-reflect and process feelings and thoughts as they come up in the moment. 

Intercultural Relationships

Intercultural relationships are deeply enriching, bringing together different languages, traditions, beliefs, values, and ways of experiencing the world. They can also present unique emotional and psychological challenges that are overlooked by mainstream couples therapy. As a couples therapist, I offer intercultural relationship counselling for couples navigating the complexities of cross-cultural and mixed culture relationships. Whether you come from different nationalities, ethnicities, religions, or cultural backgrounds, therapy provides a space to explore how your individual identities, family expectations, attachment styles, and life experiences shape the way you relate to one another. Together, we can distinguish between relationship difficulties that arise from cultural differences and those that stem from recurring patterns of communication and emotional connection.

Many intercultural couples find themselves caught in cycles of misunderstanding, where different cultural expectations around communication, conflict, family roles, independence, intimacy, or emotional expression become interpreted as personal rejection or criticism. These misunderstandings can lead to a familiar pattern in which one partner pursues closeness whereas the other withdraws, leaving both feeling unheard, disconnected, or alone. Alongside the dynamics within the relationship, many couples also carry the weight of external pressures, including prejudice, family disapproval, or societal attitudes towards intercultural relationships. For same-sex couples, these experiences may be further shaped by differing cultural, religious, or legal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ identities, requiring partners to navigate not only cultural differences but varying levels of acceptance, safety, visibility, and belonging. I support couples to understand these interactional patterns with compassion rather than blame, helping each partner recognise the influence of culture alongside their emotional needs. I currently work with couples navigating long-distance relationships, international moves, and the significant adjustment of moving in together, exploring what creating a shared home means for each partner whilst honouring the identities they each bring into the relationship.

For many intercultural couples, important questions arise around belonging, family, and the future. How do you celebrate both cultures without either partner feeling they must give up part of themselves? How do you navigate differing expectations from extended family? What traditions, languages, values, and beliefs will your children inherit, and how can you create a family culture that honours both backgrounds? Couples therapy offers a collaborative space to explore these conversations before they become sources of conflict. Whether you are building a life across cultures, preparing for marriage, raising a multicultural family, or working through relationship challenges, I can help you strengthen communication, deepen emotional understanding, and develop a relationship where both partners feel respected, valued, and culturally seen.

Open Relationships

Choosing to explore an open relationship, ethical non-monogamy (ENM), consensual non-monogamy (CNM), or polyamory can be an exciting opportunity for growth, honesty, and deeper self-understanding. It can also raise complex emotional and relational questions that are not discussed openly. Every relationship is unique, and whilst there are many labels used to describe non-monogamous relationships, there is no single "right" way to structure your partnership. In therapy, I offer open relationship counselling and ethical non-monogamy therapy for couples who are considering opening their relationship, navigating an existing non-monogamous dynamic, or wanting to strengthen communication about their relationship agreements. Together, we can explore what your relationship means to you, rather than what others believe it should look like.

Opening a relationship brings existing relationship dynamics into sharper focus. Questions around trust, boundaries, communication, intimacy, sex, and emotional connection can become more visible, alongside fears of jealousy, rejection, abandonment, comparison, or drifting apart. Couples may also find themselves negotiating external pressures, including stigma, misconceptions, or judgement from family, friends, and wider society about relationships that fall outside traditional monogamy. Therapy provides a confidential, non-judgemental space to explore these experiences, understand the emotions beneath conflict, and develop the confidence to have open, honest conversations without blame or defensiveness.

Whether you are curious about consensual non-monogamy, preparing to open your relationship, or seeking support as an established non-monogamous couple, I can help you build a relationship that feels secure, authentic, and intentional. Together, we can clarify what "open" means for your relationship, establish clear boundaries and agreements, navigate changes as your relationship evolves, and strengthen your ability to repair conflict when it arises. My role is not to advocate for or against any particular relationship structure, but to support you in creating one that reflects your shared values, emotional needs, and vision for your future together.

Fees per session:

Individual counselling: £40 (60mins)

Couples counselling: £60 (90mins)

Student concession: £30 (60mins)

Online counselling offers the flexibility to access therapy wherever you are, whether you're balancing a busy lifestyle, travelling frequently, living abroad, or simply prefer the comfort and privacy of your own home. Virtual therapy has made psychological support more accessible than ever, allowing people to work with a therapist whose expertise fits their needs rather than being limited by location. Whilst many clients appreciate the convenience of online counselling, it's also natural to wonder whether therapy can feel as connected, safe, and effective through a screen.

One of the most common concerns about online therapy is whether the therapeutic relationship can develop without sharing the same physical room. Some clients worry that emotional connection will feel distant or that difficult conversations may be harder to have virtually. In reality, research consistently shows that online therapy can be just as effective as face-to-face counselling for many people. What makes therapy meaningful is not the room itself, but the quality of the therapeutic relationship, the sense of safety you experience, and the opportunity to feel heard, understood, and accepted.

I work thoughtfully to reduce the sense of distance that technology can create. From our first session, I focus on building a warm, collaborative, and trusting relationship where you feel able to speak openly at your own pace. Together, we'll create a confidential and emotionally secure space that supports honest conversations, whether you're seeking individual counselling or couples therapy. My aim is for you to experience the same depth of connection, curiosity, and care online as you would if we were sitting together in the same room, helping you feel supported wherever you are.