Linda Mather (nee Spencer) , BACP

Linda Mather (nee Spencer) is a psychotherapist with 26 years of professional experience. She is also a trainer, clinical supervisor and the author of counselling textbooks and self-help books, combining practice, teaching and writing across her career. Her work follows an integrative model - she is trained in several therapeutic frameworks and adapts her approach to meet each person’s specific needs, blending cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, psychodynamic, solution-focused and transactional analysis methods to shape dialogue and treatment planning.

She currently works with children and adolescents, with particular experience supporting young people around self-harm, emotional regulation, anxiety, depression, communication difficulties, bullying, loss and friendship problems. Over many years she has also supported adults facing a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship and parenting difficulties, career challenges, OCD and other anxiety disorders, substance misuse, and the effects of trauma and emotional abuse.

Clients can expect a warm, understanding therapeutic relationship and a space to explore difficult feelings and experiences. Linda recognises that taking the first step can be challenging and aims to provide steady support as people work through the issues they are struggling with and pursue meaningful change.

Therapeutic approaches adapted for online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, clarifying personal values and taking small, committed actions toward a more meaningful life. It is often useful for anxiety, depression and coping with life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns of relating that develop from early bonds and helps people understand and reshape how they connect with others - this can support work on intimacy, relationship difficulties and the effects of early loss or disruption. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an empathic, non-directive relationship where the therapist offers understanding and support to help clients explore their own goals and solutions; it is helpful for building self-esteem and working through emotional distress.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Linda draws on these models collaboratively, working with clients to identify which methods suit their needs, goals and preferences and adjusting the approach as therapy progresses.

Online sessions by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging offer practical flexibility, making it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and to connect when in-person appointments are not possible. These options allow licensed professionals to deliver structured therapeutic work, check in between sessions where helpful, and respond to different communication styles and needs.