James Costigan, BACP

James Costigan is a counsellor registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) with nine years’ experience. He works mainly with men who are carrying pressure, frustration or anger and want to understand how these feelings affect their lives. He helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addictions and relationship or intimacy concerns.

He keeps sessions straightforward and focused on building self-awareness. He listens for what is getting in the way of a calmer, steadier life and helps people make sense of feelings that have become hard to manage. Practical work can include looking at thoughts, patterns and everyday choices that sustain tension.

James draws on client-centred work to establish how the person makes meaning of their experience. He uses cognitive behavioural approaches to identify unhelpful thinking and habits. Mindfulness techniques are used to practise noticing strong emotions without acting on them immediately.

Many people he sees bring workplace pressure, performance expectations or a sense of being stuck. He also supports those coping with addiction, attachment and intimacy-related problems, body image concerns and issues around commitment and control. Sessions aim to increase clarity and help people make decisions that suit their life.

Practicality matters in his sessions. Conversations are direct but measured. The focus is on small, repeatable changes people can try between meetings. James helps people recognise patterns and test different responses so anger and frustration become easier to manage over time.

Therapeutic approaches and how online sessions work