Counsellor profile
Kate Oliver-Smith, NCPS
Psychotherapeutic Counsellor - Relationships and parenting
Continue with KateAbout
- CBT tools
- Person-centred work
- Motivational techniques
About Kate
Kate Oliver-Smith is a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with 13 years of experience working in and around the United Kingdom. She began her career in Human Resources, helping people and teams with mediation, coaching and practical problem solving before moving into counselling. Kate lists areas she works with including anxiety, depression, stress, relationship and parenting concerns, addictions and grief among others.
Her background in HR shaped a straightforward way of working. She combines talking therapy skills with practical coaching ideas. Sessions often focus on setting realistic, achievable goals and breaking problems into manageable steps. Kate uses a person-centred stance alongside other clinical approaches to help people clarify what matters to them.
Clients can expect calm, down-to-earth conversations that aim to make difficult issues easier to handle. She helps people address everyday pressures, low mood, sleep problems and intimacy-related concerns through a mix of talking, reflective questions and practical tasks to try between sessions.
Kate also draws on cognitive behavioural skills to spot unhelpful thinking patterns and on psychodynamic ideas to look at long-standing relationship patterns. Motivational interviewing methods are used when someone wants to make a change but feels uncertain where to start.
Her practice is suited to adults who want clear, practical support for life changes, parenting strain, relationship tension or ongoing emotional difficulties. Prospective clients who prefer a direct and pragmatic style may find this approach useful.
How sessions work
How Kate’s therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Client-centred therapy focuses on the person’s own priorities and aims to create listening that helps people find their own solutions. It is useful for sorting out relationship tension, parenting stress and low self-esteem. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour and uses practical exercises to shift unhelpful patterns; it is often used for anxiety, sleep problems and mood difficulties.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Kate will work with the person to identify goals and try methods that fit their needs and preferences. That may mean combining listening with practical CBT tasks or using motivational questions when someone is unsure about change.
The profile does not list specific online formats, so please confirm available session types before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around parenting, work and everyday life. It can also allow shorter check-ins when a full session is not needed, or sessions without video when bandwidth is limited. Registered or accredited professionals commonly adapt the style and pace to suit each person’s circumstances.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, relationship concerns, parenting strain, addictions and grief. The profile lists additional focuses like attachment, body image and caregiver stress.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is down-to-earth and practical, combining person-centred listening with goal-focused tasks. She often uses talking, reflective questions and exercises to try between sessions.
How many years has she been practising?
She has 13 years of professional experience, including earlier work in Human Resources that informed her practical approach to counselling.
What credentials and location are listed?
Her credential is NCPS and she is based in the United Kingdom according to the profile.
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Sessions are offered to international clients as noted in the profile. Sessions are conducted in English.
Which session formats does she offer?
The original biography did not specify session formats, so please confirm current options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time, as stated in the profile.
How do I begin if I want to work with her?
Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.