Madeleine Heffernan

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship patterns
• Psychodynamic and CBT

About Madeleine

Madeleine Heffernan works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions and a range of related issues. She uses several therapeutic methods and adapts her approach to the person and the problem. Madeleine is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and has eight years' experience.

Madeleine draws on psychodynamic psychotherapy to look at how past experiences shape current feelings and reactions. She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which focuses on how thoughts and behaviours affect mood, and Emotionally-Focused Therapy to work with patterns in close relationships.

Sessions may include listening, exploration and developing understanding of inner experiences and life story. She may suggest practical tasks or observations to try between sessions when appropriate. Work can involve building a more supportive inner dialogue and using techniques from the different approaches she practises.

Her practice lists a wide range of focus areas such as grief, intimacy-related issues, eating concerns, parenting strain, anger, career matters, compassion fatigue and ADHD. There are also specific foci including attachment issues, abandonment, blended family challenges, body image, codependency, chronic pain and illness, dissociation and divorce or separation.

Madeleine offers messaging and live sessions on set days and times, and she responds to messages within defined hours each day. Prospective clients should confirm current session options and scheduling when they arrange a first appointment.

Approaches used in online sessions and practical details

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns of relating that developed in early relationships and helps people understand how those patterns affect close connections now. It can be useful for issues such as attachment worries, abandonment fears and relationship repetition. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviours keep problems going and offers practical strategies to change them, which can help with anxiety, depression and stress. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) concentrates on the emotions beneath relationship patterns and supports clearer communication and stronger emotional bonds.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Madeleine will discuss goals, needs and preferences and help decide which methods to try. This is a collaborative process and can change as therapy progresses.

Please confirm the session formats available when you book. Her biography notes live sessions by video, phone or instant messaging and messaging contact within set daily hours. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around work or family commitments, allow shorter check-ins by phone or messaging when needed, and remove travel time so appointments are simpler to keep.

Topics Madeleine lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Family conflicts
• Trauma and abuse
• Depression
• Addictions
• LGBT
• Grief
• Intimacy-related issues
• Eating disorders
• Parenting issues
• Anger management
• Career difficulties
• Coping with life changes
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Abandonment
• Aging and geriatric issues
• Attachment issues
• Avoidant personality
• Blended family issues
• Body image
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Chronic pain, illness, and disability
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Dependent personality
• Dissociation
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Eating and food-related issues
• Emptiness
• Family of origin issues
• Family problems
• First responder issues
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• Impulsivity
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Men's issues
• Midlife crisis
• Money and financial issues
• Mood disorders
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Phobias
• Post-traumatic stress
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-love
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sexuality
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Traumatic brain injury
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues

Ways of working

• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Questions about Madeleine

Does she work with anxiety and stress?

Yes. Anxiety and stress are listed among her core concerns and she uses CBT and other approaches to address them.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She offers psychodynamic psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, mindfulness-influenced work and solution-focused elements.

How long has she been practising?

She has eight years of experience working with a range of emotional and relational difficulties.

Is she registered with a professional body in the UK?

Yes. She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP.

Can I have sessions in another language or from outside the UK?

Sessions are offered in English and she does not take clients outside the United Kingdom.

What session formats does she use?

Her biography notes live sessions by video, phone or instant messaging and messaging contact between 08:30 and 20:30; please confirm current session options when booking.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I start working with her?

Use the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.