- Practical coping steps
- Mindfulness and ACT
- BACP registered
About Sharmaine
Sharmaine O'Keefe welcomes people who are coping with stress, anxiety, panic attacks, parenting pressures and major life changes. She helps with relationship strain, low self-esteem, grief, trauma and eating or body-image concerns. Sharmaine writes in plain terms and aims to make the first step feel less daunting for a parent searching on their phone.
Sharmaine holds a Masters level counselling qualification and is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She has four years of experience working in private practice, senior school settings and charities. Before she trained as a counsellor she worked as a lawyer, teacher and lecturer, and those roles influence how she listens and plans sessions.
Her approach is integrative, drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Solution-Focused techniques alongside mindfulness. Sessions focus on clear, practical steps, helping people notice unhelpful patterns and test new ways of coping. Sharmaine aims for straightforward, calm conversations rather than jargon.
She makes space for personal stories about family of origin, fertility worries, workplace stress, narcissistic abuse and other complex issues. Sharmaine pays attention to cultural background and how it shapes experience because she has lived and worked in several countries.
The therapy relationship is collaborative. Sharmaine works with each person to set simple goals, try small experiments between sessions and build skills for managing panic, anxiety and everyday pressures. She aims to support people with kindness and practical tools.
How Sharmaines approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice their thoughts without getting pushed around by them and choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, panic and life transitions because it focuses on what matters most and small steps towards those values. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and uses practical exercises to test and change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, panic and phobias through straightforward behavioural experiments and thought work. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and build tolerance for uncomfortable sensations, which can help with panic and stress.Finding the right way of working is part of therapy. Sharmaine will work with each person to decide which approaches fit best for their situation, goals and preferences. Sessions are collaborative and may mix techniques over time so the plan stays responsive to progress and setbacks.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week and reduce travel time. It can also allow quieter or shorter check-ins when energy or time is limited, and make it simpler to continue work while coping with parenting and work commitments. Registered or accredited professionals can use these methods to help people build practical skills, manage panic symptoms and make steady changes.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What problems does Sharmaine focus on?
She supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, panic attacks, depression and grief, as well as eating and body-image issues and relationship or family concerns.
How would she describe her therapy style?
Her style is warm and straightforward, with calm conversations and practical steps. She combines goal-focused work with gentle reflection and mindfulness practices.
What professional background does she bring?
She trained to Masters level in counselling and has four years experience in private practice, schools and charity settings, plus earlier work as a lawyer, teacher and lecturer.
What credentials and location are listed?
Sharmaine is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages and international clients are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not specify formats.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.