Christiane Alfred , BACP

Christiane Alfred offers calm, straightforward support for people facing stress, anxiety and life transitions. She works with adults and with teenagers aged 16 and above. Her approach is practical and warm, aimed at helping people feel heard and make manageable changes.

Christiane uses simple conversation to help clients untangle problems. She spends time listening first, then works with each person to set small, realistic goals. Sessions focus on what matters to the client right now, such as mood, relationships, parenting or finding direction at work.

Her background includes three years of counselling and psychotherapy practice in the United Kingdom. She holds BACP accreditation, which she lists among her professional details. That experience includes supporting people with depression, low self-esteem and family-related concerns.

Christiane draws on a mix of approaches to match different needs. Client-Centred Therapy guides her to follow the client’s lead and build a trusting conversation. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps when people want practical tools to change unhelpful thinking and habits. Psychodynamic ideas are used to notice repeated patterns that affect current life and relationships.

She also offers attention to specific areas such as adoption and foster care, attachment concerns, body image, caregiver stress and issues around fatherhood. Sessions can be arranged in English or Shona, and international clients may connect from outside the UK.

Therapeutic approaches and how online sessions help

Client-Centred Therapy puts the client’s voice first. The therapist listens without steering and helps people feel understood, which can be useful for building confidence and exploring personal values.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, focuses on simple tools to change patterns of thinking and behaviour. It is often used for anxiety, low mood and stress because it gives practical strategies people can use between sessions.

Psychodynamic Therapy pays attention to recurring patterns and past experiences that shape current relationships and feelings. It can help when someone wants to understand why they repeat certain behaviours or get stuck in similar problems.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Christiane will discuss goals and preferences and try methods that fit each person's needs. That decision is made together and can change as therapy progresses.

Online sessions offer flexibility for different lives. Video calls approximate face-to-face conversation, phone sessions use less bandwidth, and live chat or text-based messaging let people check in without a full session. These options make it easier to fit counselling around work, family or travel and to use formats that feel most comfortable.