Sharmaine O'Keefe

Sharmaine O'Keefe welcomes people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, eating and food-related issues, low self-esteem and relationship strains. She helps with parenting challenges, grief, trauma, workplace pressures and life changes. Sharmaine aims to make first contact feel manageable and to give people time to be heard without judgement.

Sharmaine holds a Masters level counselling qualification and is a BACP member, which means she works within recognised professional standards. She has four years' experience working in private practice, senior school settings and charities. Before training as a counsellor she worked as a lawyer, teacher and lecturer, roles that shaped her practical approach.

Her practice is integrative, drawing on different therapeutic models to suit each person's needs. She commonly uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Solution-Focused techniques alongside mindfulness. Sessions focus on practical steps, new ways of thinking and building everyday coping skills.

Clients are invited to talk through what matters to them and set realistic goals together. Sharmaine aims to be warm and non-judgemental while helping people find clearer direction and small changes that add up.

Having lived and worked in several countries, she pays attention to cultural and social background when understanding someone's story. If you want to explore eating concerns, family of origin issues, fertility questions or midlife transitions, she offers a calm space to begin that work.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing difficult thoughts and choosing actions that match your values. It can help when anxiety, low mood or repetitive worries get in the way of everyday life. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact and offers clear strategies to change unhelpful patterns, often useful for anxiety, depression and panic. Client-Centred Therapy emphasises a respectful, listening relationship where the counsellor follows your pace and priorities.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Sharmaine will work with each person to try approaches that feel useful and adjust the work based on what helps most. The aim is to match methods to your goals and to make plans you can use between sessions.

The biography does not list specific online formats, so please confirm available session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when a full session is not needed. It can also suit people who prefer not to be on camera or who need lower-bandwidth options. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt these approaches to work effectively at a distance while focusing on practical skills and real-life application.