Rines Shanthakumar, BACP

Rines Shanthakumar is a qualified integrative counsellor practising from the United Kingdom. He earned a BSc (Hons) in Counselling from the University of East London - an undergraduate degree in counselling - and is a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the professional body that supports counsellors and promotes ethical standards.

Rines works with people from many backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ clients, neurodivergent individuals, disabled people, and those living with long-term health conditions. His integrative approach blends techniques from Person-Centred, Psychodynamic, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Existential approaches to tailor work to each person’s needs. He supports a wide range of concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, self-esteem, coping with life changes, and related areas like attachment and abandonment issues, body image, chronic illness and pain, codependency, communication and commitment problems, dissociation, and substance-related challenges.

Known for a respectful and compassionate style, Rines aims to create a non-judgmental space where clients can explore challenges, build resilience, and gain clarity. He currently has availability for new clients and offers flexible session times across mornings, evenings, and weekends. Rines accepts international clients and provides appointments by video, phone, live chat, and in-app messaging for those seeking accessible options.

Attachment, Client-Centred, and CBT for Online Care

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on understanding patterns formed in early relationships and how they influence current attachments and reactions. This approach can help those who struggle with abandonment, trust, or recurring relationship difficulties. Client-Centred Therapy places the client’s experience at the heart of the work, emphasising empathy, active listening, and collaboration to support self-exploration and personal growth - it is often helpful for issues like low self-esteem, life transitions, and building confidence. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers practical techniques to identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, making it useful for anxiety, stress, depression, and coping strategies.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Rines works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods match their needs, goals, and preferences, and he adapts plans as progress unfolds. This collaborative stance helps ensure therapy feels relevant and approachable.

Online sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and across time zones. These options increase flexibility for appointment times, help reduce travel, and allow individuals to engage in therapy from environments that feel comfortable to them while working with licensed professionals and therapists who can tailor support to their situation.