Melinda Best , BACP

Melinda Best is a UK-based therapist with 16 years of professional experience supporting people through addiction, relationship and family challenges, low self-esteem, and career-related coaching. She combines clinical skills with practical coaching to help clients identify strengths, build confidence, and find clearer direction when facing personal or professional obstacles.

Her work includes helping people cope with drug and alcohol addiction, navigate infidelity and family conflict, manage guilt and shame, and address issues such as isolation, midlife concerns, and caregiver stress. She also brings experience in supporting those living with chronic pain, illness, or disability, and in exploring life purpose and commitment questions.

Melinda approaches therapy from a collaborative perspective, viewing each person as the expert of their own story and building on existing strengths to create meaningful change. She encourages the courage it takes to seek a more fulfilling life and offers steady, supportive guidance throughout the process. Melinda holds BACP credentials - membership in the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - which reflects her professional standing within the United Kingdom.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care and Everyday Challenges

Melinda draws on Client-Centered Therapy to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space where clients lead the conversation and identify their own goals. This approach is helpful for building self-esteem, improving relationships, and clarifying personal values.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients notice unhelpful thinking patterns and test new ways of responding to difficult situations. CBT can support work on anxiety, mood, addictive behaviours, and practical problem solving.

Mindfulness Therapy is incorporated to help clients develop present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity to stress, which can be useful for managing cravings, chronic pain, and persistent negative self-talk.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process, and Melinda works collaboratively with each person to match techniques to their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they explore what feels most effective and adjust the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy with Melinda is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility for busy schedules, mobility limits, or geographic constraints. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and fit therapeutic work into everyday life, while allowing therapists and clients to focus on meaningful change.