Nadira Akhtar , BACP

Nadira Akhtar is a counsellor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression and relationship or family concerns. She also supports people facing grief, addictions, issues with intimacy, eating and sleeping struggles, parenting pressures, and career or life-purpose questions. Nadira recognises how hard the first step can feel and offers steady support as people start to make changes.

She works from a belief that each person knows their own story best and already has strengths to draw on. Sessions focus on what matters to the individual and on practical steps they can try between meetings. Nadira aims to make the process straightforward and compassionate rather than clinical or overwhelming.

Her practice combines client-centred listening with structured tools from cognitive behavioural approaches and emotionally-focused work to address feelings and patterns. Mindfulness and solution-focused techniques are used when helpful to manage stress and build small, achievable goals.

With eight years of professional experience and registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), Nadira brings steady experience to sensitive topics such as domestic violence, immigration issues, abandonment and shame. She also works with concerns like ADHD, bipolar mood issues, compassion fatigue and isolation.

Nadira offers sessions in English to people in the United Kingdom and internationally. Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

Approaches that suit online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy places the person's experience at the centre of each session. The therapist listens closely and follows the client's pace, helping people feel heard and valued while they think through difficult choices and emotions.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying thoughts and behaviours that keep problems going. It uses practical exercises and experiments to reduce anxiety, lift mood and change unhelpful patterns in day-to-day life.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people notice and name strong feelings and then respond to them differently. It can be useful for addressing relationship hurts, grief and deep emotional pain by strengthening how people connect with their own emotions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Nadira will discuss options with each person and suggest ways forward based on their goals, preferences and what seems to help in early sessions. This is a collaborative process and plans can be adjusted as therapy progresses.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that feels important, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, and shorter live chat or text-based messaging can suit quick check-ins or busy schedules. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, caring duties and travel, and let people choose how they prefer to communicate with their therapist.