Zahira Virani, BACP

Zahira Virani uses a blend of attachment-based, client-centred and cognitive-behavioural approaches to help people untangle painful patterns. She combines practical strategies with a warm, empathetic presence. Zahira holds BACP accreditation and works from the United Kingdom. She speaks English and Gujarati.

Zahira focuses on worries such as stress, anxiety and depression. She also helps with relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting challenges, addictions and trauma. Other areas she supports include eating and sleeping difficulties, anger, self-esteem, career concerns and coping with life changes.

Her work can include addressing complex or overlapping struggles such as caregiver stress, chronic illness, codependency and attachment issues. She also pays attention to concerns linked to adoption and foster care, body image, and neurodiversity such as autism and Asperger syndrome. Zahira brings six years of professional experience to her practice.

In sessions she adapts what she does to each person. That might mean exploring patterns formed in close relationships, reflecting on feelings in the moment, or trying skills to manage thoughts and behaviour. She aims to create a calm space where hard feelings can be noticed and made sense of.

Zahira works collaboratively with people to set clear goals. She supports practical steps alongside emotional processing. The aim is to help people feel more able to cope, relate and make choices that suit their values.

How Zahira’s approaches work online

Attachment-based work focuses on how early close relationships shape feeling and behaviour. Online sessions can be used to notice recurring relationship patterns and practise new ways of relating. Client-centred therapy prioritises the person’s experience and aims to offer acceptance and empathy so people can explore what matters most to them. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and teaches practical strategies to change unhelpful patterns.

Choosing a therapeutic approach is a collaborative process. Zahira will talk with each person about their goals, preferences and what feels most useful. Together they decide which methods to try and review progress as therapy continues, adjusting the focus when needed.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video works well for face-to-face conversation and non-verbal cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for a shorter check-in. Live chat and text messaging suit people who prefer typing, need brief support between sessions, or want a flexible way to reflect outside scheduled meetings. These options help people fit therapy around work, family and daily life.