Richard Schafer

Richard Schafer is a counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship pain, low self-esteem and big life changes. He names divorce and separation among the concerns he supports. He works in the United Kingdom and offers therapy in English.

Richard trained in psychodynamic counselling in 2003 and started private practice in 2004. He is a long-term member of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists, listed with the BACP credential. He has over 21 years of experience, including more than a decade leading clinical work in therapeutic residential settings.

His way of working is integrative. That means he draws on psychodynamic ideas to look at how past relationships affect present feelings. He also uses person-centred principles to keep the conversation focused on what the client wants and needs in the moment.

Sessions are respectful and paced to the person. He aims to help people talk through communication problems, issues with control, attachment worries and feelings of emptiness or isolation. He also supports people dealing with substance use and related addictive patterns.

Richard offers individual and couple counselling and believes different people need different tools at different times. He frames therapy as a shared process where the goals and methods are shaped together with each person.

Approaches you might use in online sessions

Richard uses psychodynamic and person-centred approaches as part of his integrative practice. Psychodynamic work looks at how past relationships and early experiences influence current feelings and behaviour. It can help people understand recurring patterns in relationships, including issues that show up during separation or divorce.

Person-centred work focuses on the person's own goals and pace. The therapist listens without directing, helping people find their own solutions and build confidence. This approach suits people who want a supportive space to talk things through and make decisions.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. The therapist and client will discuss what feels helpful and adapt methods over time, based on needs, goals and preferences. That shared decision-making makes it easier to try different ways of working until a good fit is found.

Please confirm the exact online session options before booking, as the biography does not list formats. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow for shorter or more flexible check-ins when needed. It also allows people to continue work when living in another country, since international clients are accepted.