Zahira Virani

• Stress and anxiety
• CBT and DBT methods
• Attachment-focused work

About Zahira

Zahira Virani helps people address stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns using a blend of talking therapies and practical skills. She works in English and Gujarati and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Zahira has six years' experience in her current practice setting and draws on a longer background in related work.

Before qualifying as a counsellor Zahira spent many years working with people affected by family breakdown, substance dependency and domestic violence. That earlier work included both group sessions and one-to-one support in voluntary and statutory settings. She brings that experience into how she listens, asks questions and plans sessions.

Her practice mixes client-centred methods with structured approaches such as cognitive behavioural techniques and elements from dialectical behaviour therapy. She also uses attachment-based and emotionally-focused ideas to look at how relationships and past experiences affect current feelings.

In sessions Zahira aims to work collaboratively with each person to set practical goals. She uses conversation, reflection and skill-building to help with things like sleep, anger, low self-esteem and coping with life changes. Practical tools from CBT and DBT are used where they suit the client.

Zahira lists a wide range of focus areas including grief, parenting, addictions, LGBT issues, trauma and eating problems. She also works with concerns such as commitment issues, caregiver stress, chronic illness and attachment-related difficulties. The mix of approaches means she can adapt the work as needs change.

Sessions are offered in the United Kingdom and are described on her profile with her professional membership noted as BACP.

How her therapeutic approaches work in online sessions

Attachment-based work looks at how early relationships influence current patterns. It is often used to understand difficulties in close relationships and feelings of abandonment or trust. Client-centred therapy focuses on the person's experience and uses open conversation to explore feelings and choices; it suits people who want a reflective, person-led space. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviours and offers practical techniques for issues such as anxiety, sleep problems and low mood.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Zahira will discuss options with each person and agree what to try first based on needs, goals and preferences. The choice of methods can change as progress is made, so the process is collaborative rather than fixed.

Session formats are not specified on the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Generally, online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around work, childcare or travel by removing commuting time. They also allow shorter check-ins when needed and the choice not to use video if that helps someone engage. Check the booking details to see which formats Zahira is offering at the time.

Topics Zahira lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Family conflicts
• Grief
• Parenting issues
• Addictions
• LGBT
• Trauma and abuse
• Intimacy-related issues
• Eating disorders
• Sleeping disorders
• Anger management
• Self-esteem
• Career difficulties
• Depression
• Coping with life changes
• Coaching
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Abandonment
• Adoption and foster care
• Aging and geriatric issues
• Antisocial personality
• Attachment issues
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Avoidant personality
• Blended family issues
• Body image
• Cancer
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Chronic pain, illness, and disability
• Co-morbidity
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
• Dependent personality
• Dissociation
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Eating and food-related issues
• Emptiness
• Family of origin issues
• Family problems
• Fatherhood issues
• Fertility issues
• First responder issues
• Forgiveness
• Gender dysphoria
• Guilt and shame
• Hoarding
• Hospice and end-of-life counselling
• Immigration issues
• Impulsivity
• Infidelity
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Men's issues
• Midlife crisis
• Money and financial issues
• Mood disorders
• Multicultural concerns
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Paranoia
• Phobias
• Polyamory and non-monogamous relationships
• Postpartum depression
• Post-traumatic stress
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Process addictions
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-harm
• Self-love
• Sex addiction
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sexuality
• Quitting smoking or vaping
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Somatization
• Trichotillomania
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues
• Young adult issues

Ways of working

• Attachment-Based Therapy
• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Existential Therapy
• Gottman Method
• Imago Relationship Therapy
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Somatic Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy
• Internal Family Systems

Questions about Zahira

Does she work with anxiety and stress?

Yes. Anxiety and stress are listed among her main focus areas and are commonly addressed in sessions.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She uses a mix of client-centred counselling with cognitive behavioural therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy techniques, plus attachment-based and emotionally-focused ideas.

What experience does she have?

She has six years' experience in her current counselling practice and prior work with people affected by family breakdown, domestic violence and substance dependency.

Is she registered with a professional body in the UK?

Yes. She is listed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.

In which languages can I speak with her?

Sessions are offered in English and Gujarati.

Can I have sessions from outside the UK?

She does not accept international clients at this time.

How much do sessions cost?

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

How do I get started with her?

Start by selecting the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete the short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.