Noreen Akhtar, BACP, NCPS

Noreen Akhtar is a counsellor who supports people facing stress, anxiety, grief, trauma and related concerns. She helps clients manage low mood, self-esteem problems, relationship strain, anger and the strain that comes with major life changes. Noreen uses everyday language and steady guidance to help people talk through difficult thoughts and feelings.

Her background includes seven years of practice in the United Kingdom and registrations with BACP and NCPS. She creates an open space where people can say what they are thinking without feeling judged. Noreen values a calm, honest tone and aims to make the first steps into therapy easier.

Her way of working draws on several practical approaches, including cognitive behavioural ideas and acceptance-focused methods. Sessions often look at unhelpful thinking patterns and small changes in daily habits that make life feel more manageable. She also pays close attention to how attachment and emotional patterns shape relationships and coping.

Noreen often supports people dealing with family of origin issues, separation and divorce, adoption and foster care concerns, chronic illness and fertility stress. She also works with those affected by domestic violence, dissociation and compassion fatigue. Her practice emphasises steady support and realistic, manageable steps forward.

To begin, she invites people to reflect on what matters most right now and to bring that into early conversations. The focus is on practical change - clearer thinking, better daily routines and more reliable ways to cope when things get hard.

How her approaches translate to online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, low mood and life changes by focusing on what matters and small steps towards it. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and teaches practical techniques to change patterns that keep problems going. This can help with anxiety, stress and mood problems. Attachment-Based Therapy explores patterns from close relationships and how they affect current reactions and connections, which is helpful for relationship strain and family of origin issues.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences in early sessions and try different ways of working to see what fits best. That choice is collaborative and may shift as needs change.

Confirm the available session formats before booking, as specific formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into busy days, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also makes access possible for people who live far from services or are arranging care around other commitments. Registered or accredited professionals can help plan a practical routine that suits your everyday life and goals.