Madeleine Heffernan, BACP

Madeleine Heffernan offers help for common and painful problems such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, and issues around grief and intimacy. She also supports people facing parenting strain, addictions, career worries, compassion fatigue and ADHD. Madeleine uses plain language and a steady manner to help people feel understood and to make change manageable.

Madeleine has eight years of practice and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She draws on a mix of approaches rather than a single model. Sessions may include listening, making sense of life patterns, short tasks to try between meetings, and simple exercises to build self-compassion.

Her work often links current problems to past experiences in a thoughtful way, while also looking at day-to-day thoughts and behaviours that keep difficulties going. That means there is space to look back and to try practical steps forward. Clients can expect a flexible pace and direct suggestions when they are wanted.

Madeleine aims to help people develop kinder self-talk and clearer communication with others. She sometimes introduces mindfulness practices and emotion-focused exercises to help with intense feelings. Over time the focus is on coping skills that fit real life and on small, steady changes.

Sessions are offered in English and Madeleine practises from the United Kingdom. To begin, clients use the site Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

How Madeleine’s approaches translate to online therapy

Attachment-based work looks at patterns in close relationships and helps people understand how past connections shape current feelings and reactions. It can help with intimacy worries, abandonment fears and communication problems. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavioural changes to reduce anxiety and low mood. It is useful for stress, anxiety and day-to-day coping. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people identify and name emotions and to change unhelpful interaction patterns that keep distress alive. It is often used when relationship and attachment issues are central.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Madeleine will talk through options and make decisions with the client, tailoring methods to goals and preferences. That means plans can change as progress is made and as priorities shift.

Please confirm the exact session formats available before booking, as formats are not fully specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by reducing travel time and allowing sessions during breaks or from quieter places. Phone or video may be useful for longer conversations, while shorter instant messaging can suit brief check-ins or low-bandwidth needs. Registered or accredited professionals will help match the method and format to what fits the client’s day-to-day life.