Kate Oliver-Smith, NCPS - Therapist in United Kingdom

Warm and down to earth
Goal focused
Practical strategies

About Kate

Kate Oliver-Smith is a psychotherapeutic counsellor with 13 years of experience. She began her working life in Human Resources, supporting people and teams through mediation, coaching and practical problem-solving. That background shaped her straightforward, results-focused style and led her to retrain in therapy to help people more deeply.

She uses a mix of approaches to suit each person who comes to her. Sessions draw on Client-Centred Therapy to create a warm, non-judgemental space and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to tackle unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Existential and psychodynamic ideas are sometimes used to look at life patterns and past influences.

Clients can expect a down-to-earth counsellor who listens and asks plain questions. She aims to help people set realistic goals and take small steps towards them. Conversations often include practical strategies, short exercises and ways to cope between sessions.

Her background in HR means she is comfortable talking about workplace stress, career choices and communication problems as well as personal issues such as anxiety, grief and relationship strain. She also works with people facing adoption and foster care related concerns and attachment issues.

Kate holds NCPS credentials, which are shown as supplied. Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients. To start, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a time that suits them.

How Kate’s approaches translate to online counselling

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening without judgement and helping people feel heard. In practice this means the counsellor reflects concerns back, checks understanding and follows the client’s pace to build trust and clarity.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behaviour that keep problems going. It is practical and often includes simple tasks between sessions such as noting thoughts, trying new behaviours and testing unhelpful beliefs.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kate will discuss your goals and preferences and together you will decide which methods to try. That collaborative choice can change over time as needs evolve.

If you prefer online sessions, please confirm the available session formats before booking because the profile does not list them. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling around daily life, shorten travel time and allow for brief check-ins when a quick problem arises. It can also let discussions focus on practical tools and homework that slot into everyday routines rather than lengthy in-person sessions.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGrief Self esteem Depression

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingADHD

Additional focus areas

Abandonment Adoption and foster care Attachment issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily problemsForgiveness Guilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

13+ years

Credentials

United Kingdom

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Kate commonly help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction and relationship issues among other concerns. The profile also lists grief, self esteem, parenting, ADHD and adoption and foster care related matters.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Her style is warm, down to earth and non-judgemental. She blends listening with practical steps and short exercises to support change.

What is her background and experience?

She has 13 years of experience and began in Human Resources, where she worked on mediation, coaching and workplace issues before training in therapy.

What credentials does she hold and where is she based?

She is listed with NCPS as supplied and practises in the United Kingdom.

Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?

International clients are accepted and sessions are offered in English.

What session formats does she offer?

The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

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