Counsellor profile

Robert Paynter, NCPS

United Kingdom

NCPS counsellor - codependency and addictions

Where Robert stands

Credentials: NCPS
Registration: NCPS, United Kingdom / NCS20-01745
Experience: 10 years
Languages: English, Afrikaans, Portuguese
Location: United Kingdom

About Robert

Robert Paynter is an NCPS counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with 10 years of clinical experience. He works with adults on issues such as stress, anxiety, addiction, relationship concerns, depression and low self-esteem. He also supports people dealing with career strain, compassion fatigue and codependency.

Robert uses a blend of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and person-centred methods. He adapts his approach to what the client needs and prefers. Sessions focus on practical skills, clearer thinking and rebuilding self-trust.

Clients who come with relationship pain, attachment worries or trouble saying no will find a focus on patterns and boundaries. Robert also offers help with shame, body image and managing strong emotions such as anger. He works with people affected by addiction, domestic violence, caregiving stress and chronic illness.

His style aims to be straightforward and practical. Conversations often include thinking through tricky choices, practising new ways of responding, and short exercises to use between sessions. He draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy where they fit the issue.

Robert has worked with people from many cultures and speaks English, Afrikaans and Portuguese. He accepts clients from outside the UK. Before booking, clients should confirm current session options and scheduling details.

How sessions work

How his approaches translate to online work

Robert commonly draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy in his sessions. ACT helps people notice unhelpful thought patterns and commit to actions that match their values, which can help with anxiety, low mood and codependency patterns. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape present behaviours and can help when someone struggles with clinginess, fear of abandonment or repeated relationship problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will talk with the client about goals and preferences and suggest which methods to try first. They will review progress together and adjust the plan as needed so the work fits what the client wants to change.

Session formats should be confirmed before booking as the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, or avoid travel time. Clients who need to manage energy, caregiving or work commitments often find these practical benefits helpful when arranging therapy.

Areas of focus

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Addictions LGBTRelationship issuesDepression

Also works with

Anger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommunication problems Control issues Divorce and separation Domestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgiveness Guilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelity Isolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Men's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobia Workplace issues Young adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Jungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapySystemic Therapy

Experience

10+ years

Listed in

United Kingdom

Languages

English, Afrikaans, Portuguese

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does he help with?

He helps adults with stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, relationship problems, low self-esteem and codependency issues.

What is his therapeutic style?

He blends Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with person-centred and integrative work and uses techniques from ACT and DBT when helpful.

How long has he practised?

He has ten years of experience and has conducted thousands of sessions since qualifying.

Where is he based and what credential does he hold?

He is based in the United Kingdom and holds NCPS as the listed credential.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English, Afrikaans and Portuguese.

Can international clients work with him?

Yes, he accepts international clients; confirm details and scheduling before booking.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin working with him?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.

Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.

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