Petra Vidal, BACP

Petra Vidal is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who helps people make practical changes in how they think and act. She supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and motivation struggles. Petra aims to make the first step feel manageable and listens without judgement.

Petra has three years of professional experience and holds BACP registration, which she uses to guide her practice. She creates an open space for clients to talk about thoughts, feelings and everyday habits that get in the way of daily life. Conversations focus on what matters now and what people want to change.

Her approach blends client-centred work with tools from cognitive behavioural techniques. That means Petra listens first, then helps people test new ways of thinking and small behavioural experiments between sessions. She also draws on existential ideas to look at values and meaning when people face big life questions.

Mindfulness practices are offered to help with stress and racing thoughts, using simple exercises that can be repeated at home. Petra tends to keep sessions straightforward and practical so people can try things out and see what helps.

Sessions are aimed at helping people cope with life changes, relationship stress, grief, trauma-related concerns and identity questions such as LGBT issues. Petra also works with a range of other worries, including eating concerns, career decisions and feelings of emptiness or isolation.

Approaches and online support for changing thoughts and habits

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding a person’s experience. The therapist follows the person’s lead, offering empathy and non-judgemental space so people can work out what matters to them. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It involves practical exercises and small experiments to test unhelpful thinking and try new ways of coping.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Petra will explore goals and preferences with each person and decide together which methods to use. This is a collaborative process where techniques are adjusted to fit the client’s needs and life circumstances.

The practical benefits of online therapy can include fitting sessions into a busy week and reducing travel time. Online work can also make regular check-ins easier to keep to and let people use short sessions around work breaks if needed. Because the biography does not list specific session formats, confirm available options before booking to ensure the arrangement fits daily life and practical needs.