Sharmaine O'Keefe
Support for stress, relationships and life changes
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About Sharmaine
Sharmaine O'Keefe offers help for common and painful concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, parenting strains, relationship and family tensions, grief, trauma and eating or body image issues. She welcomes people who are juggling work, family and life changes and who want clear, practical ways to feel steadier and more able to cope.
Sharmaine is a Masters-level counsellor and holds BACP registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Background and approach
She has four years' experience working in independent practice, senior school settings and charities. Before training as a counsellor she worked as a lawyer, teacher and lecturer, which influences her practical approach. Her style is warm and down-to-earth.
She aims to make people feel heard and understood rather than judged. Sessions focus on what matters to the client in the here and now, and on small, achievable steps that fit into daily life. She blends several recognised therapies to match each person's needs.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy are often used to spot unhelpful thinking and to build new ways of responding. Mindfulness techniques and solution-focused ideas are added when useful for coping and goal-setting. Sharmaine also brings an awareness of multicultural and family-of-origin issues from living and working in several countries.
Her work often touches on fertility, parenting, workplace pressures, midlife questions and the aftermath of abusive relationships. To begin, people follow a short online matching process and then schedule sessions according to availability.
At a glance
- Years practising
- 4
- Registered with
- BACP
- Registration number
- 393053
- Languages
- English
- Approaches include
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- How sessions happen
- Online, by video, phone or messages
Details are as listed on Sharmaine's public professional profile. You can check any number with the professional body.
What Sharmaine works with
Everything Sharmaine lists, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Coping with life changes
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Body image
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family of origin issues
- Fertility issues
- Jealousy
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Sharmaine lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
How Sharmaine works online
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Sharmaine will discuss different methods with the client and try techniques that suit their goals, needs and preferences. That collaborative process helps shape sessions so they feel useful and relevant rather than one-size-fits-all.
If you are considering online therapy, check the current session options before booking to confirm how this therapist runs sessions. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people try different tools between meetings, such as brief mindfulness practices or written exercises, which are simple to carry out between sessions.
Questions and answers
What kinds of problems does Sharmaine help with?
She supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, relationship and family tensions, grief, trauma, eating and body image concerns, and career or workplace issues.
How would you describe her therapy style?
The approach is warm and down-to-earth, focusing on listening and practical steps. Sessions aim to help people feel heard and to build manageable changes week by week.
What background does she bring to her work?
She trained to Masters level in counselling and has four years' experience in independent practice, schools and charities, plus prior work as a lawyer, teacher and lecturer.
Where is Sharmaine based and what credential does she hold?
She practises in the United Kingdom and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.
Which languages are used in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted, so sessions are arranged for people in the United Kingdom.
How are sessions charged and paid for?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions operate via a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
What do I need to do to start therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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