Deirdre MacNamara, BACP

Deirdre MacNamara is a BACP counsellor based in the United Kingdom who focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety and difficult life changes. She is approachable and calm, and aims to make starting therapy feel straightforward for someone who is worried or unsure.

Deirdre draws on five years of practical experience supporting people with depression, grief and trauma. She also works with concerns such as anger, low self-esteem, eating difficulties, compassion fatigue and ADHD. Her practice includes attention to ageing and geriatric issues, cancer and chronic health challenges, caregiver stress and the pressures faced by first responders.

Her style is person-centred and gentle. She gives people space to describe what matters most and listens for the values they want to live by. Mindfulness techniques are used to help bring attention back to the present moment and to reduce unhelpful rumination.

Deirdre also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people settle on actions that match their priorities, even when feelings are difficult. Emotionally-Focused Therapy ideas are applied when emotions and attachments are central to the problem. She aims to adapt her approach to each person’s needs as the work progresses.

Sessions may be offered by video call, phone, live chat or text messaging, so people can choose a format that fits their day. Starting is a simple process: select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a session according to availability.

How Deirdre’s approaches work online

Deirdre uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and to choose actions that align with what matters to them. This can be useful for anxiety, depression and life transitions.

She also draws on Client-Centred therapy, which focuses on listening, warmth and empathic understanding so people feel heard and able to explore what matters. Emotionally-Focused Therapy ideas are used when emotional patterns and attachments are central to the issue, helping people name and work with strong feelings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods make sense for their goals and preferences, and will adjust the plan as progress is made.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video allows face-to-face interaction, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat or text messaging suit shorter check-ins or days when typing feels simpler. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and health commitments while keeping the same therapeutic focus.