Madeleine Heffernan , BACP

Madeleine Heffernan is a counsellor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, grief and intimacy-related issues. She also supports people dealing with parenting strain, career changes, anger, compassion fatigue and ADHD. Madeleine works with concerns around body image, attachment and communication problems as well as separation and divorce. She practises with sensitivity to issues affecting LGBT people and those facing chronic illness or caring roles.

She uses a mix of approaches tailored to each person. Sessions often draw on psychodynamic ideas to make sense of past experiences. Cognitive behavioural techniques are used to spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Emotionally-Focused Therapy and attachment-based work support people who want to understand and repair painful relationship patterns.

Madeleine also brings mindfulness and compassion-focused ideas into sessions to build a kinder inner voice and better emotion regulation. She may suggest short tasks between sessions to practise new ways of coping. These tasks are optional and agreed together.

Her background includes eight years working in therapeutic roles, and she is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. Madeleine lives and works in the United Kingdom and offers sessions in English.

She provides a warm, non-judgemental space and aims to work collaboratively. People can expect clear explanations of approaches and practical steps they can try between sessions. Madeleine encourages clients to set their own goals and to move at a pace that feels manageable.

Approaches that suit online therapy and women's concerns

Attachment-based work focuses on how past relationships shape present patterns. It looks at how people connect and react to others, and can help with intimacy issues, attachment difficulties and relationship repair.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, is a practical way to spot unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviours. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress and problems that respond to clear, structured tasks.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy concentrates on feelings in the moment and helps people communicate emotions more clearly. This approach can be helpful for resolving recurring relationship pain and for improving emotional connection.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss each method and help decide what fits the client's goals and preferences. That decision is made together and can change as therapy progresses.

Online sessions give practical flexibility. Video calls let people see facial cues and work in real time. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or a quieter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging allow brief updates, reflection between sessions or shorter contacts when writing feels easier. These options make it simpler to fit therapy around work, family and daily life while keeping the focus on therapeutic goals.