- Stress and anxiety
- Relationships and attachment
- Practical therapy tasks
About Madeleine
Madeleine Heffernan is a counsellor based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties. She also supports those coping with trauma and abuse, grief, addictions and intimacy-related concerns. Madeleine works with issues connected to parenting, career changes, compassion fatigue and ADHD too. She has eight years of experience and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Madeleine uses a range of approaches to suit each person’s needs. Sessions may include listening, talking through life history, and spotting patterns that keep problems going. She might suggest practical tasks or observations to try between meetings, and ways to build a kinder inner voice. The work draws on psychodynamic ideas about past experience and cognitive behavioural methods that look at thoughts and behaviours.
Her style aims to be collaborative and down-to-earth. Madeleine describes clients as the experts in their own lives and focuses on helping them find steps that feel achievable. Meetings can include direct discussion, reflective exercises and focused tasks depending on what a person prefers.
She also uses elements of emotionally-focused work to address relationship patterns and attachment-based ideas to explore how early connections influence present life. Mindfulness practices may be introduced to help with managing strong emotions and reducing stress.
Madeleine offers messaging and live sessions on certain days, and she asks people to use the site’s Start Therapy flow to complete a short matching questionnaire before booking.
How Madeleine's approaches work for online therapy
Madeleine commonly draws on cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic ideas in her work. Cognitive behavioural therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and is useful for problems like anxiety, low mood and unhelpful habits. Psychodynamic work pays attention to past relationships and patterns so people can see how earlier experiences shape current reactions.She also uses emotionally-focused and attachment-based ideas to understand relationship difficulties and how people connect with others. These approaches help people notice interaction patterns and learn new ways of responding in close relationships.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Madeleine aims to work with each person to decide what methods feel most helpful, matching techniques to their goals and preferences as the sessions progress.
Please confirm the exact session formats before booking, as options in the biography note messaging plus live sessions on specific days. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy around work or family life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also suit people who prefer not to be on camera, or who want a mix of talking and written reflection during the week.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
8+ years
Credentials
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Madeleine support?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief and intimacy-related issues among other areas. Additional focuses include ADHD, caregiver stress, body image and communication problems.
What is her therapy style like?
Her approach is collaborative and straightforward. Sessions combine listening, exploring life history, practical tasks and gentle encouragement to build self-compassion.
How much experience does she have?
Madeleine has eight years of clinical experience working with a wide range of concerns and therapeutic approaches.
What credentials and region are listed?
She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practices in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions booked and paid for?
Session cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Madeleine?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, then schedule according to the therapist’s available times.