- Guilt and shame
- CBT and DBT techniques
- Solution-focused work
About Derek
Derek Wheeler is an NCPS-credentialed counsellor in the United Kingdom with 18 years of professional experience. He focuses on stress and anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, and grief. Derek also works with people dealing with guilt and shame, abandonment, attachment questions and related concerns.
He takes a straightforward, person-centred approach. Sessions are a place to talk through what’s troubling someone and to find practical ways to cope. Derek uses clear techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused work to help people notice patterns and try different responses.
When emotions feel overwhelming, he can introduce skills from dialectical behaviour therapy to manage distress and improve emotional regulation. He draws from a mix of methods rather than a single standing model, adapting the tools to the issue at hand. This often means working on thought habits, behavioural experiments and small changes that can be practised between sessions.
Derek has worked across a range of presenting problems for nearly two decades. He aims to help people sort through guilt, resolve difficult feelings about relationships, and rebuild routines after loss or trauma. Sessions are conversational and focused on practical steps.
People who want straightforward discussion and clear techniques may find his style helpful. He offers sessions in English and accepts international clients; anyone considering work with him should confirm current session options before booking.
How Derek uses therapeutic approaches online
Derek uses client-centred work to focus conversations on what matters to the person in front of him. This means listening to how guilt, shame or relationship issues show up and shaping sessions around those specific concerns. He also draws on cognitive behavioural therapy, which looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions. CBT is used to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and to try small behavioural experiments that can change how someone responds to distress. Dialectical behaviour therapy offers practical skills for managing strong emotions and reducing impulsive reactions; these can be practised between meetings. Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Derek will discuss goals, preferences and what has or has not helped in the past, then agree a plan together. That collaborative choice helps focus sessions on what the client wants to change. The original biography does not specify which online session formats are offered, so please confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example, shorter check-ins during a work break, not needing to travel, or choosing a format that needs less bandwidth. Practical arrangements are agreed at booking to suit day-to-day routines rather than promising a particular service.Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
18+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does he help with?
Derek helps people with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, and grief. He also works with issues such as guilt and shame, abandonment, attachment, and codependency.
How would he approach feelings of guilt or shame?
He combines person-centred conversations with practical tools from CBT and DBT to examine thought patterns and build coping skills. Work often involves testing small behavioural changes and learning ways to respond to difficult emotions.
How much experience does he have?
Derek has 18 years of professional experience working with a wide range of presenting problems. That background includes work with trauma, addictions, and relationship concerns.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He is listed with NCPS and practises in the United Kingdom. NCPS is the credential shown in his profile.
Can I work with him if I live outside the UK?
Sessions are offered to international clients. Sessions are conducted in English.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Confirm the current session options before booking so you know how sessions will be conducted.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time. Exact pricing depends on where the client is based.
What do I need to do to get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session. That process begins the match and booking steps.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.