Sharmaine O'Keefe, BACP

Sharmaine O'Keefe is a Masters-level qualified counsellor and a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the UK professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists. She brings four years of clinical experience working across private practice, senior school settings, and charitable organisations, and is qualified to counsel clients of all ages. Her background before training included roles as a lawyer, teacher, and lecturer, experiences that contribute practical insight and clarity to her therapeutic work.

Sharmaine practices in an integrative manner, drawing on a range of evidence-informed methods so that therapy can be tailored to each person's needs. She most frequently uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Therapy and mindfulness techniques to support people facing stress and anxiety, depression, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, eating and body image concerns, parenting challenges, workplace issues and life transitions.

Clients can expect a warm, empathic approach that values being heard and understood. Sharmaine aims to create a nonjudgmental space where thoughts and feelings can be explored and where practical coping strategies and personal goals are developed collaboratively. Her international living experience has informed a sensitivity to cultural and social diversity, and she works to help clients build resilience, restore meaning, and move toward their chosen values and priorities.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most to them and take committed action toward those values while accepting difficult thoughts and feelings. It can be helpful for stress, anxiety, depression, and navigating life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on how thoughts, feelings, and behaviours interact and uses practical strategies to challenge unhelpful patterns and build coping skills. It is commonly used for anxiety, depression, panic, phobias, and eating-related concerns.

Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on identifying strengths and small, achievable steps toward preferred outcomes, making it useful for clients seeking practical progress in areas like relationships, parenting, workplace issues, and short-term goals.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey. Sharmaine will work collaboratively with each client to explore which methods best match their needs, goals, and personal preferences, and will adapt techniques as therapy progresses to support meaningful change.

Online therapy offers flexible options such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life or access support from different locations. These formats allow licensed professionals to deliver structured, responsive care while offering scheduling flexibility and varied ways to communicate depending on what feels most comfortable for the client.