Ilona Smith , BACP

Ilona Smith is a United Kingdom based therapist who brings 30 years of professional work experience and 16 years practising as a therapist. She holds BACP, which indicates membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy in the UK, and applies that training to support people facing a wide range of emotional challenges. Ilona works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and intimacy-related issues, while also addressing related concerns such as attachment and abandonment, dissociation, family problems, and feelings of emptiness and isolation.

Her approach is grounded in respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and she individualises conversation and treatment plans to fit each person’s specific needs. Ilona emphasises collaboration - listening carefully to a person’s experience, helping clarify goals, and adjusting methods to match what works best for them. Taking the first step into therapy often requires courage, and Ilona recognises and affirms that decision while offering steady support throughout the therapeutic process.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Ilona Smith uses client-centred therapy to build a respectful, nonjudgemental space where the person’s own goals and experience guide the work. This approach helps people who need empathy, clearer self-understanding, and a steady therapeutic relationship when coping with issues like grief, loneliness, or relationship difficulties.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns. CBT is practical and goal-oriented, often helping with anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms by teaching tools for managing thoughts and responses.

Mindfulness therapy offers simple practices to increase present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity, which can support emotional regulation and lessen the intensity of anxiety and trauma-related reactions.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy itself. Ilona works collaboratively with each person to explore which methods match their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts the plan as progress is made.

Online therapy with licensed professionals offers flexibility - sessions can take place by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to fit therapy into busy lives or to connect across time zones. These options allow therapists and clients to maintain continuity of care and to choose the format that feels most comfortable and practical.