Sharmaine O'Keefe , BACP

Sharmaine O'Keefe welcomes people who are facing stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, parenting pressures, relationship strain, grief, trauma, eating and body image concerns, and the challenges of life change. She supports women and others dealing with fertility issues, pregnancy and childbirth concerns, workplace stress and social anxiety. Sharmaine writes plainly and listens closely so people feel heard and understood from the first session.

She adopts an integrative style, drawing on a mix of approaches to suit each person. Sessions are collaborative and practical. People can expect short-term strategies alongside work on longer patterns that maintain distress.

Sharmaine holds a Bachelor degree plus Masters-level counselling qualification and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - BACP. She has four years' experience working in private practice, senior school settings and charities. Before qualifying she worked as a lawyer, teacher and lecturer, which she says helps her communicate clearly and advocate for clients.

Having lived and worked in several countries, she brings sensitivity to multicultural concerns and family of origin issues. She often helps people address narcissistic abuse, panic attacks, phobias and post-traumatic stress by combining practical tools with reflective work.

In sessions she uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused ideas and mindfulness techniques. Her aim is to offer a warm, non-judgemental space where people can build coping skills, clarify goals and find more calm in daily life.

Therapeutic approaches and online support

Sharmaine commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy alongside mindfulness work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and supports taking actions that match personal values. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing them with practical exercises to reduce anxiety, panic or low mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. Sharmaine works collaboratively with each person to decide which techniques to try first, and she adapts methods as goals and needs become clearer. This means sessions can combine short-term problem solving with deeper reflective work, depending on what helps most.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and non-verbal cues, phone sessions can fit into a quick break or require less bandwidth, and messaging or chat lets people check in between sessions or use text when they prefer not to be on camera. These options make it easier to schedule therapy around work, childcare and daily life while still working on real change.