Madeleine Heffernan , BACP

Madeleine Heffernan is a licensed therapist based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, who adapts her approach to meet each client’s unique needs. She draws on several therapeutic models to make sense of current difficulties and life patterns, combining psychodynamic psychotherapy with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and compassion-focused work. She also uses Emotional Freedom Technique, sometimes called tapping therapy, as one of a range of tools to support change.

Her practice focuses on common and complex concerns including stress and anxiety, relationship and family conflicts, trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, grief, and a wide range of intimacy and parenting issues. Madeleine believes clients are experts in their own stories and that therapy builds on existing strengths to create sustainable change. She aims to support and empower people who are taking the often-challenging first steps toward a more satisfying life.

Counselling with Madeleine may include attentive listening, exploration of life history and inner experience, and the integration of psychodynamic and CBT ideas to generate insights. She may offer tasks or observations to work on between sessions if clients choose, and she helps develop a more compassionate internal dialogue alongside other therapeutic techniques. Madeleine answers messages between 08.30 and 20.30 daily, allows up to an hour of messaging per week, and holds live sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 08.00 and 18.00 by video, phone, or instant messaging.

Therapeutic Approaches and Remote Support

Madeleine integrates several evidence-informed approaches to suit different needs. Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early patterns of connection influence current relationships and helps people develop healthier attachment styles, which can be especially useful for relationship, intimacy, and abandonment concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviours to reduce distress and manage symptoms such as anxiety and depression. Emotionally-Focused Therapy concentrates on emotions and interaction patterns within couples or close relationships, supporting clearer emotional expression and stronger bonds.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Madeleine works collaboratively with clients to identify which methods best match their goals, preferences, and life circumstances, adjusting the focus over time as needs evolve.

Online therapy with Madeleine is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, giving flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These options make therapy more accessible for people balancing work, family, or mobility constraints, while allowing therapists and clients to maintain continuity of care across changing life demands.