Abida Haroon, BACP

Abida Haroon is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom with six years of clinical experience and BACP registration. She offers a calm, non-judgemental space where people can begin to talk about what feels hard. Her approach centres on listening and helping people find clearer ways forward.

Abida focuses on stress, anxiety and depression alongside relationship and intimacy-related issues. She also supports people dealing with trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem and sleep or eating concerns. Additional areas of focus include attachment and caregiver stress, workplace pressures, multicultural issues, and challenges facing young adults.

In sessions she uses client-centred methods to understand each person’s world, and draws on emotionally-focused and mindfulness-based techniques when emotions feel overwhelming. Trauma-focused and solution-focused work are used to help process difficult experiences and identify practical steps. The emphasis is on simple, manageable strategies rather than jargon or lengthy theory.

People can expect a warm, steady presence and time to reflect without feeling rushed. Abida pays attention to cultural and faith-related concerns and aims to see situations from the client’s perspective. She offers therapy in English, Punjabi and Urdu to better match language and cultural needs.

Practical matters such as session format, pacing and short-term goals are discussed together so people know what to expect. The overall aim is to help people build resilience, increase self-acceptance and make choices that feel right for them.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Client-centred work focuses on listening and reflecting so the person feels understood; it helps when someone needs time to make sense of feelings or life changes. Emotionally-Focused Therapy - EFT - looks at patterns in close relationships and helps people notice and shift emotional responses, which is useful for intimacy and attachment concerns. Mindfulness-based methods teach simple attention and breathing practices to reduce anxiety and improve sleep and concentration.

Choosing the best approach is part of the therapeutic process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most helpful, and will tailor methods in collaboration with the client. That way therapy stays relevant and practical rather than being one-size-fits-all.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, giving options for different needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual connection matters. Phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited or a quieter check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging suit shorter check-ins, written reflection or people who prefer typing. These options offer flexibility to fit sessions around work, family and daily life.