Madeleine Heffernan, BACP

Madeleine Heffernan is a licensed therapist based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, who tailors therapy to each person's needs and circumstances. She draws on a range of methods including psychodynamic therapy, which looks at how past experiences shape current patterns, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which explores the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. She also integrates compassion-focused practices to help people develop a kinder inner dialogue and at times uses Emotional Freedom Technique, a tapping approach some clients find useful.

Madeleine works with people facing stress and anxiety, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, grief and a broad range of life challenges such as parenting, career transitions, caregiver stress and issues around intimacy and identity. Her practice attends to related concerns including attachment and abandonment issues, communication and control problems, codependency, and the effects of chronic illness or caregiving.

She approaches therapy from the perspective that each person is the expert on their own story and brings strengths that support change. Sessions can include listening, exploration of inner experience, insight drawn from psychodynamic and CBT ideas, and agreed tasks or reflections to work on between meetings. Madeleine maintains regular availability for messages between 08.30 and 20.30 daily with up to an hour of messaging per week, and offers live sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 08.00 and 18.00 by video, phone or instant messaging. More information about her background and practice is available on her website locusofsolace.com and her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/locusofsolace

Therapeutic approaches adapted for online care

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps people identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. Online CBT typically uses structured conversations and practical exercises to address low mood, anxiety, stress and related difficulties.

Psychodynamic Therapy explores how earlier relationships and life experiences influence present feelings and patterns. Delivered remotely, this approach supports deeper self-understanding and insight into recurring relational themes and emotional responses.

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early attachment styles shape expectations in close relationships and emotional regulation. It is useful for people working through intimacy, trust, abandonment or family-related concerns and can be adapted to online sessions that prioritize safety and relational connection.

Deciding which approach fits best is part of the work. Madeleine collaborates with each client to identify goals, preferences and practical needs, adjusting methods as therapy progresses to find the best fit for the individual.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, allowing people to access consistent support around work, family or mobility constraints. These remote options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and to integrate therapeutic work into daily life with fewer logistical barriers.