Rines Shanthakumar, BACP

Rines Shanthakumar is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression and relationship concerns. He also helps people coping with life changes and offers support around attachment and abandonment issues. Rines works in English and Tamil and is a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

He trained with a BSc (Hons) in Counselling from the University of East London and brings three years of professional experience to his practice. He uses an integrative style, drawing on several therapy approaches to match what each person needs. Sessions aim to be respectful, calm and non-judgemental so people can talk honestly about difficult topics.

Rines blends Person-Centred techniques with elements from psychodynamic thinking and cognitive behavioural methods. He also uses attachment-based ideas and mindfulness to help people notice patterns and try new ways of relating to themselves and others. The work often focuses on practical steps for coping and clearer ways to communicate.

His approach is collaborative and paced to the individual. He pays attention to background, identity and long-term health issues when relevant. Many people come for help with communication problems, commitment worries, body image, dissociation, addiction or life transitions.

To begin, clients follow the site's Start Therapy flow and complete a short matching questionnaire. Rines is available to work with people from diverse backgrounds and aims to support growth, clarity and more confidence in everyday life.

How his approaches translate to online work

Rines uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current patterns. This approach helps people who notice repeating relationship difficulties or worry about abandonment. He also works from a Client-Centred perspective, which means the therapist focuses on listening, reflecting and offering a respectful space to talk through concerns.

He commonly uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviours. CBT can be useful for anxiety, low mood and stress by breaking problems into smaller steps and practising new skills between sessions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process and will be a joint decision. He will work with each person to match methods to their goals, preferences and what feels manageable in day-to-day life. That might mean focusing more on thinking and behaviour, on exploring past patterns, or on simple mindfulness practices.

Session formats are not listed here; please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy around busy schedules, offer shorter check-ins on lighter days and remove travel time. It also lets people join from different time zones when needed, which can help those who live or work abroad.