Sharmaine O'Keefe, BACP

Sharmaine O'Keefe helps people facing stress, anxiety, parenting pressures, low self-esteem and big life changes. She also supports people dealing with relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, eating and body-image concerns, career worries and depression. Sharmaine's first aim is to make you feel heard in a calm, respectful space. She presents herself simply and directly to make it easier to take the next step.

Sharmaine holds a Masters level counselling qualification and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She has four years of experience working in independent practice, senior school settings and charities. Before qualifying as a counsellor she worked as a lawyer, teacher and lecturer, experience she says has helped her practical approach to problems.

Her practice is integrative, which means she adapts methods to each person rather than following a single theory. In sessions she commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Solution-Focused techniques and mindfulness tools. Sessions focus on clear, practical steps you can try between meetings as well as talking through feelings.

Sharmaine has lived and worked in several countries, which informs her awareness of multicultural concerns. She aims to offer a warm, non-judgemental space where difficult material can be discussed honestly. Her stated goal is to help people find more hope, reach personal goals and improve how they live day to day.

If you are thinking about therapy she asks that you choose the Start Therapy button and complete a short matching questionnaire to schedule a first session.

Approaches you can expect in online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, is about clarifying what matters to you and making small, values-based changes. It helps when worry or difficult feelings are getting in the way of living the way you want.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, panic and low mood because it gives clear tools to try between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss your goals and preferences and suggest which methods to try first. This is a collaborative process and plans can be adjusted as you learn what helps.

If you are considering online sessions, please check which formats the therapist currently offers before booking. Confirming formats helps you choose what fits your routine. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when useful, and remove travel time so sessions slot into work or family life more easily.