Joonas Vehvilainen, BACP

Joonas Vehvilainen helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, low self-esteem and depression. He also supports those dealing with grief, trauma and intimacy-related concerns. He works in English and Finnish and is based in the United Kingdom. Joonas studied psychology at the University of York and completed a master’s in neuroscience at King’s College London, where he focused on behaviour linked to addiction and mental health. He later trained in addiction psychology and counselling at London South Bank University. He is a BACP member, which denotes registration with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Early in his career he worked as a healthcare assistant in a mental health unit and as a recovery worker in supported accommodation. He then spent time providing counselling in NHS and third-sector services, gaining hands-on experience with addiction, crisis work and long-term care. These roles shaped his practical approach to therapy. In sessions he blends talking and practical skills. He uses tools from cognitive behavioural work, acceptance and commitment ideas, attachment-focused thinking and client-centred listening. He also draws on dialectical behaviour concepts when emotion regulation or impulsivity is an issue. Joonas aims to make therapy straightforward and achievable. He focuses on small steps, coping skills and clearer thinking. He works with people who want to reduce distress, change unhelpful patterns and rebuild a sense of purpose. He has around four years of counselling experience and over 1,000 hours of face-to-face and online sessions. He offers a calm, direct style and combines practical skill-building with an interest in how relationships and past experiences shape current difficulties.

Therapy approaches and online options that fit your life

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping people notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, depression and motivation problems. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and helps people change how they connect with others. Client-Centred Therapy emphasises empathetic listening and gives space for clients to lead the pace of change.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences and what feels most useful. Together they decide which combination of methods to try and adjust the plan as things change.

Online sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone meetings, live chat or text-based messaging. Video calls let you use face-to-face conversation from a distance. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low or when a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging allow for brief, on-the-go contact or ongoing written reflection between longer sessions. These formats make therapy more flexible and easier to fit around work, family and travel.