About Summar
Summar Ali is a counsellor with 11 years' experience who aims to help people facing stress, anxiety, addiction and relationship problems. She offers a calm, non-judgemental space where clients can make sense of difficult feelings. Her work also addresses trauma, grief, sexual issues, sleep problems and LGBT concerns.
Summar draws on a broad clinical background that includes NHS CAMHS, school counselling, drug and alcohol services, bereavement support and sexual trauma work.
Background and approach
She has lectured at the University of Southampton and the Anna Freud Centre and holds a BA in Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Her approach is practical and person-focused.
Sessions look at what the person wants to change and how to get there using realistic steps. She uses a mix of talking, skill practice and reflection tailored to each person. Summar has continued professional development in trauma neurobiology and holds postgraduate certificates in evidence-based interventions for children and young people and in supervisory skills.
Outside of online work she also practises animal-assisted therapy, which informs her gentle, relational style. Clients often come for help with self-esteem, parenting stresses, career pressures, ADHD-related challenges and intimacy or sexual culture matters such as kink. She also supports people coping with chronic illness, attachment concerns, adoption and foster care issues, and bereavement.
To begin, clients use the platform Start Therapy button and complete a short matching questionnaire before booking according to the therapist's availability.
What Summar works with
Everything Summar lists, in their own terms. LGBT is the reason Summar is listed here; the rest shows what else Summar works with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Personality disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Summar lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Gottman Method
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches and how they work online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts without getting pulled into them, and focuses on actions that match personal values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviours, and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns; it often helps with anxiety, low mood and sleep problems. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationship patterns affect current connections and emotional responses, which can be useful for attachment issues, relationship difficulties and trauma-related concerns.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and try methods that fit the person's needs. This is a collaborative process where techniques are adjusted over time based on what helps most.
The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so please confirm which options are offered before booking. Many people find online therapy helps fit sessions into busy lives by reducing travel time and allowing appointments during lunch breaks or between commitments. It can also make shorter check-ins easier to arrange or let someone choose sessions without being on camera. Registered or accredited professionals aim to make practical arrangements that suit daily routines and therapeutic goals.
Questions people ask about Summar
What kinds of problems does this counsellor help with?
Summar works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, depression and grief. She also addresses sleep, parenting, career issues, ADHD and a wide range of other concerns listed in her profile.
What is her general therapy style?
Her sessions are person-focused and practical, combining talking, skill practice and reflection. She adapts methods to what each person needs rather than using a single fixed method.
How long has she been practising?
She has 11 years of experience working in a range of settings including NHS CAMHS, schools, drug and alcohol services, bereavement work and sexual trauma services.
What qualifications and professional registration does she hold?
She holds a BA in Counselling and Psychotherapy and postgraduate certificates, and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Sessions are offered in English and she does accept international clients. Confirm times and any regional considerations before booking.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify exact session formats. Please confirm current session options with the service before booking.
How are sessions charged?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I start working with this counsellor?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.
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