Counsellor profile
Sharmaine O'Keefe, BACP
Based in United Kingdom ยท 4 years of experience
Counsellor for stress, anxiety and life changes
Continue with SharmaineAt a glance
- Registration
- BACP, United Kingdom (393053)
- Qualifications
- BACP
- Experience
- 4 years
- Languages
- English
- Based in
- United Kingdom
Details come from information Sharmaine supplied to BetterHelp.
- CBT
- ACT
- Mindfulness
About Sharmaine
BACP member and Masters-level qualified counsellor with four years' experience, Sharmaine O'Keefe works from the United Kingdom and offers counselling in English. She helps people with stress, anxiety, parenting concerns, self-esteem, coping with life changes, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, eating and body-image problems, career worries and depression.
Sharmaine describes her practice as integrative. She draws on several counselling theories and selects methods that suit each person. She commonly uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and mindfulness techniques in sessions.
Work in schools, charities and private practice forms part of her background. Before training as a counsellor she worked as a lawyer, teacher and lecturer, and she has lived and worked in several countries. That experience informs how she works with people from different cultural and social backgrounds.
In appointments she aims to listen and to help clients set practical goals. Sessions typically involve talking through current problems, developing coping strategies, and practising simple mindfulness or CBT exercises when helpful. She also addresses specific concerns such as eating and food-related issues, family of origin matters, fertility worries, panic and phobia problems, and workplace stress.
People seeking counselling for pregnancy and childbirth, women's issues, midlife questions, jealousy, narcissism-related harm, or social anxiety will find these listed among her focus areas. Sharmaine notes that work is collaborative and that she adapts methods to the person rather than applying one fixed model.
If you prefer to use English and are based in the United Kingdom, the first step is to follow the site booking flow to match with her and arrange an initial session.
Therapeutic approaches and working online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice unhelpful thoughts and move toward actions that reflect their values. It can be useful for anxiety, low mood and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and uses practical exercises to shift unhelpful patterns. It is commonly used for anxiety, panic, phobias and depression. Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on identifying small, realistic steps and building on what already works. It is often used when people want focused, goal-oriented work. Finding the right approach is part of the counselling process. The counsellor will work collaboratively to decide which methods suit a person's needs, goals and preferences and may combine elements from different approaches over time. If you are considering remote sessions, please confirm which session formats Sharmaine currently offers before booking. Online counselling can help fit appointments around work or family commitments, reduce travel time and allow short check-ins when life is busy. Different formats may also suit quieter surroundings, lower bandwidth or sessions that do not require video. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt exercises such as CBT worksheets or brief mindfulness practices to an online setting.Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
Which problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, parenting, self-esteem, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, eating and body-image issues, career worries and depression.
What counselling approaches does she use?
Her practice is integrative, most often using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Therapy and mindfulness techniques.
How much experience does she have?
She has four years of counselling experience working in private practice, senior school settings and charities.
Is she a BACP member and where is she based?
She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is based in the United Kingdom.
Can I work with her if I am not in the UK?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats does she offer?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are sessions charged?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the See online counselling options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Checking a registration
Professional bodies keep public registers. If Sharmaine lists a membership, you can look it up on that body's own website:
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