Atifa Begum, BACP

Atifa Begum is a BACP counsellor with three years of practice in the United Kingdom. She focuses on building a warm, dependable connection so people feel heard from the first session. Her approach aims to make therapy straightforward and practical for everyday stresses.

She helps people who are coping with stress, anxiety, low mood and issues around self-esteem. She also supports those facing grief, body image concerns, social anxiety and feelings of isolation. Communication problems, attachment issues and questions about life purpose are other common themes she addresses.

Atifa adapts each session to the person in front of her, drawing on person-centred and solution-focused ideas alongside other techniques. Sessions are guided by empathy, active listening and respect for each person’s background and identity. This means conversations move at the client’s pace and focus on what matters most to them.

Practical steps and simple tools are used to help manage overwhelming thoughts and day-to-day strain. She aims to make changes feel achievable rather than overwhelming. Sessions can include talking through immediate problems and developing small experiments to try between meetings.

People who value a calm, collaborative style often find this approach helpful. Atifa welcomes conversations about cultural identity and how it connects to wellbeing. She works online using video calls, phone, live chat and text messaging to offer flexible support.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions

Atifa draws primarily on person-centred and solution-focused ways of working. Person-centred counsellors focus on listening carefully and reflecting what matters to the client, helping people feel understood and find their own answers. Solution-focused techniques concentrate on practical, small steps and goals that can change a problem over time.

She also uses an integrative stance, which means combining useful elements from different approaches to match the person’s needs. That might mean practising a breathing or grounding exercise in one session, then working on communication skills or goal-setting in the next. Together the therapist and client decide which methods suit the client’s goals and preferences.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video calls are closest to in-person meetings and suit longer conversations. Phone sessions need less bandwidth and can be easier to fit into a busy day. Live chat and text messaging work well for short check-ins, written reflection and ongoing support between sessions. These formats make it easier to access therapy around work, family commitments and everyday life.