Madeleine Heffernan, BACP

Madeleine Heffernan is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who supports people with sexual dysfunction alongside stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties and trauma. She works with individuals on problems such as grief, addiction, body image, parenting strain and intimacy-related issues. Madeleine uses straightforward language and aims to help people make practical changes in day-to-day life.

Her approach combines several ways of working so sessions match the person's needs. Psychodynamic ideas help make sense of how past experiences shape current patterns. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviours and how to shift them. Emotionally-Focused Therapy is used to explore and name emotions in the moment, while mindfulness techniques support calmer attention. Madeleine also draws on compassion-focused ideas to strengthen a kinder inner voice.

Therapy sessions may involve listening, asking questions, and helping clients spot repeating patterns. She sometimes suggests simple tasks to try between sessions and works with clients to build new ways of responding to stress and relationship strain. Madeleine believes clients are the experts in their own lives and works alongside them to set goals.

She has eight years of experience and holds BACP accreditation, which is recorded here as BACP. Sessions are offered in English and are based in the United Kingdom.

Madeleine manages messages daily between 08:30 and 20:30, and runs live sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 08:00 and 18:00. Live sessions may take the form of video, phone or instant messaging sessions.

How Madeleine's approaches work online

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns. Online work using this approach helps people notice recurring ways of connecting and try small shifts in how they relate to others.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings and actions. In online sessions CBT can be used to spot unhelpful thinking, test new behaviours and set short tasks to practise between meetings.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps name and work with feelings as they arise. Online EFT sessions support people to identify emotions and try different ways of responding in relationships and in themselves.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss aims, preferences and what feels most useful. This is a collaborative process and plans are adjusted as therapy progresses.

Please confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking, as the profile mentions live sessions and options such as video, phone and instant messaging but specific formats can vary. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy routines, allow a quieter or shorter check-in when needed, and reduce travel time so appointments are simpler to attend.