Alan Opfer

Alan Opfer is a counsellor who aims to help people facing addiction and a wide range of mental health challenges. He draws on three years of professional experience in the UK and speaks English. He wants to offer straightforward support without judgement for practical change.

Many clients come to him for help with alcohol and substance use. He has experience with pre and post detoxification, harm reduction, controlled use and coping strategies. He also works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and LGBT concerns among other issues.

Alan describes himself as a person-centred therapist. That means he focuses on each person’s own goals and strengths and shapes sessions around what the client needs. Sessions tend to be collaborative and paced to the individual rather than rigidly structured.

He also uses mindfulness and solution-focused ideas to complement that approach. Mindfulness practices are used to help people notice thoughts and feelings more clearly. Solution-focused techniques help narrow in on small, practical steps that can change daily life.

Alan’s personal experience of recovery informs his work and how he relates to people who have faced similar struggles. Before becoming a counsellor he worked in housing support and with multi-disciplinary teams, giving him a practical awareness of community services and supports.

If a parent is reading on a phone and worried about a young person’s wellbeing, Alan offers calm, non-judgemental conversations that concentrate on what to try next and how to keep moving forward.

How these approaches work for online therapy

Alan uses person-centred ideas that centre on the client’s priorities, letting sessions follow what matters most to the individual. This approach helps when people need to move at their own pace and decide which problems to tackle first.

He pairs that with mindfulness techniques to help people notice thoughts and feelings in the moment. Mindfulness can be useful for anxiety, stress and managing cravings. He also uses solution-focused methods that look for small, achievable changes and practical steps that can make daily life better.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Alan will collaborate with each client to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences, and he adjusts the plan as progress is made. That means therapy is reviewed together and shifted if something isn’t working.

The biography does not list which session formats are used, so please confirm available options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions around work, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Discuss practical needs with the therapist so sessions can be arranged to suit everyday life.