Olenka Hennessey , BACP

Olenka Hennessey is a counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, low self-esteem and relationship concerns. She works with issues such as depression, grief, trauma, parenting challenges and women’s issues. Sessions are practical and focused on helping clients feel heard and less alone.

Olenka adopts a sensitive, collaborative style. She aims to build a trusting relationship where clients can speak openly and safely. Her goal is to help people notice unhelpful patterns, challenge self-limiting beliefs and develop clearer self-awareness.

She draws on client-centred ideas to keep the person’s needs central. Mindfulness tools are used to help reduce overwhelm and notice thinking patterns in the moment. Motivational interviewing techniques support shifts in readiness for change and practical steps forward.

Olenka has six years of experience and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She works with life transitions big and small, from career changes and bereavement to perimenopause and a new diagnosis such as ADHD that can feel destabilising.

When people come to her they can expect compassionate listening, focused questions and realistic, short-term goals when appropriate. The work balances understanding past patterns with small, achievable changes in day-to-day life. Olenka aims to empower clients to find greater clarity and build resilience for the next chapter.

Approaches that suit online therapy

Olenka uses client-centred work that keeps the person’s needs at the heart of sessions. This approach focuses on listening closely, reflecting what matters to the client and helping them find their own solutions. Mindfulness techniques are also used to help reduce stress and bring attention back to the present moment, useful for anxiety, sleep or overwhelm.

She also draws on motivational interviewing to help people move from uncertainty to action by exploring ambivalence and building motivation. These approaches are chosen together with the client, so the therapist will work collaboratively to find what feels most helpful based on needs, goals and preferences.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility: video calls let people use visual cues and longer conversation, phone sessions need less bandwidth and can fit a break at work, and live chat or text-based messaging allow shorter check-ins or ongoing reflection between sessions. This range makes it easier to maintain continuity of care around busy lives and different circumstances.