Counsellor profile
Sayma Arshad, BACP
Based in United Kingdom ยท 13 years of experience
Integrative counsellor for adult mental health
Continue with SaymaAt a glance
- Registration
- BACP, United Kingdom (384258)
- Qualifications
- BACP
- Experience
- 13 years
- Languages
- English
- Based in
- United Kingdom
Details come from information Sayma supplied to BetterHelp.
- Anxiety and depression
- Trauma and abuse
- Attachment and relationships
About Sayma
BACP. 13 years' experience. Sayma Arshad works with adults on issues such as anxiety, depression, relationship problems, grief, addiction and trauma. She describes her work as integrative and uses different counselling approaches to match what each person needs.
Arshad trained as a social worker and has worked across mental health, social services and charities. That background informs how she understands difficulties, including how life circumstances and social factors affect mental health. Her experience includes supporting people with ADHD, autism spectrum concerns, bereavement and complex trauma.
She explains her method as a blend of humanistic, person-centred and cognitive approaches, with elements from psychodynamic, solution-focused brief therapy and trauma-informed work. In practice she listens, reflects and uses specific techniques from these approaches to help people manage symptoms and make changes.
Sessions focus on building a dependable therapeutic relationship first, then on practical steps and coping strategies. She says trust and a good working relationship are central to progressing in counselling.
Clients can expect a counselling style that combines conversational reflection with targeted interventions. Arshad notes she adapts her approach according to the presenting concern and the person in front of her. Her background working with other mental health professionals also informs how she works with complex or layered problems.
How her therapeutic approaches are used in online counselling
Attachment-based work looks at how past relationship patterns affect current feelings and reactions. Online sessions can use this approach to help people recognise attachment patterns and practise different ways of relating to others. Client-centred counselling focuses on open listening and reflection. In online appointments this means the counsellor provides attentive, non-directive listening while helping clients to clarify their own thoughts and feelings. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) targets unhelpful thoughts and behaviours with practical exercises. Online sessions can include setting tasks between meetings, mood tracking and learning skills to manage anxiety or low mood. Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most useful, and then agree a plan together. This collaborative process aims to match methods to the client's needs rather than imposing a single method. Confirm the available session formats before booking as the biography does not specify them here. Online counselling can make it easier to fit sessions around work and family life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also support people who prefer not to attend in person while keeping the focus on practical strategies and relational work.Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does she work on?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, eating and sleeping difficulties, anger, parenting and career concerns among others.
What counselling approaches does she use?
She practises an integrative approach including Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy and Mindfulness-based techniques.
How much experience does she have?
She has 13 years' experience working in mental health, social services and charity settings.
Is she registered with a professional body in the UK?
She is listed with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are accepted.
How are sessions paid for and what do they cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin counselling with her?
Use the See online counselling options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Checking a registration
Professional bodies keep public registers. If Sayma lists a membership, you can look it up on that body's own website:
Online counselling is not emergency or medical care. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers