Daryl Pickthall (online)

Therapist Directory Listing Category: Online Therapy

About the Therapist

About the therapist:

I spent over 20 years working in corporate life as an accountant in a range of industries before later working as a consultant in different countries. My focus gradually shifted from measuring and communicating business results towards helping improve performance, processes and systems. This gave me a wider experience of people and the challenges of change, as well as the strain that demanding environments can place on wellbeing and relationships.

I learned first-hand how easily stress, performance and career expectations can impact our sense of self-worth. Self-esteem can easily become linked to constant achievement. As a gay man, I also know how identity and minority stress can feed into this, making it harder to feel “good enough” without striving for perfection. Part of my work, and my own experience, is about loosening that link and allowing space for self-acceptance.

Outside of work I enjoy running (slowly!), walking, cooking curries and singing. In the last few years I’ve started conducting a choir and I’m learning a lot about performance pressure.

Sexual identity:

Gender identity: Male

Gender history: As assigned at birth

Non-monogamy: No

Intersex: No

Neurodivergent: Unsure

Personal pronouns: He/Him

Qualifications - Links to websites:

BACP Member Number 400243

https://cambio-counselling.com/

Qualifications - Additional:

Award	Awarding body	Year of award
Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling and Interpersonal Skills	Leeds Beckett University	2021
Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy (Distinction)	Leeds Beckett University	2023
Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism	Training Qualifications UK	2023
Various elements of CPD		Ongoing

Experience and approach:

I’ve worked with people (mainly men) from all walks of life – students, builders, men in prison, and corporate professionals. I’ve seen how, despite very different backgrounds, we can all face similar pressures and struggles. I’ve supported people navigating bereavement, addiction, trauma and questions of identity, helping them talk about experiences that may have been hidden or difficult to share. As a gay man, I know first-hand how sexuality, belonging and minority stress can shape our confidence and relationships, and I bring that understanding into my work. Whatever someone’s background, I aim to offer a space where they can be open, understood and met without judgement.

My specialisms are men’s anxiety & depression, grief and neurodivergence. Many of the people I work with come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, disconnected or unsure how to share what’s really going on. For some, it’s about managing the pressure to perform or hold everything together; for others, it’s the weight of loss or the constant sense of being different. I also support people struggling with self-esteem, relationship issues and the competing demands of work and home. Across these areas, my focus is on understanding relational patterns, easing self-criticism and helping people reconnect with themselves and others.

In my practice, I aim to consistently show acceptance and a lack of judgement. This can help people who struggle to open up reduce the temptation to wear a ‘mask’ and improves self-acceptance. Over time, clients begin to feel more at ease showing more of who they are. I help people to challenge or make friends with the inner critic – learning to hear it without letting it dominate, which can open up more compassionate ways of looking at ourselves.

As the work deepens, we often explore how relationships shape who we are and the patterns we carry into them. I describe my approach as “relational integrative”, recognising that relationships are at the heart of how we understand ourselves and the difficulties we experience. The relationship between therapist and client is an important part of the work. The integrative aspect means that one size does not fit all, and I can draw on different theories or techniques according to the needs of the client and situation.

Approaches: