Malik Akhtar , BACP

Malik Akhtar is an integrative, person-centred counsellor with more than 20 years of experience who offers both short-term and long-term therapy. He is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), which provides professional standards and an ethical framework for practitioners.

He has additional specialist training as an I.E.M.T. level 2 practitioner and has completed Brainspotting Level 2, Brainspotting Performance and F.L.O.W. training. These practice skills are combined to create tailored interventions that respond to each client’s unique needs.

Working in an integrative way, he draws on a mix of therapeutic approaches and adjusts the method to fit what feels most helpful for the person in front of him. Malik works with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family issues, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, eating and sleeping difficulties, parenting, anger, self-esteem, career challenges, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, coaching, compassion fatigue and ADHD. He also focuses on drug and alcohol addiction, guilt and shame, jealousy, multicultural concerns, obsessions and compulsions, panic disorder, paranoia, phobias, prejudice and discrimination, seasonal affective disorder, self-harm and building self-love.

He offers flexible ways to work with clients, including live video, phone, chat and messaging, and accepts international clients.

Approaches That Guide Remote Therapy

Client-Centred Therapy places the client’s experience at the centre of sessions and emphasises empathy, acceptance and collaboration. It helps people explore their feelings and make choices that feel authentic, often supporting issues like low self-esteem, relationship challenges and life transitions.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches practical ways to notice thoughts and bodily sensations without judgement, which can be useful for anxiety, stress, sleep difficulties and improving emotional regulation. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-focused style that helps people explore their readiness to change and strengthen motivation, particularly useful for addiction, behaviour change and ambivalence about taking next steps.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Malik works collaboratively with each client to identify which methods fit best with their needs, goals and preferences, and adjusts the plan as therapy progresses so the work remains relevant and practical.

Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging offers flexible ways to access support from licensed professionals and therapists. These options make it easier to schedule sessions around work, family and travel, and allow people to continue care when in-person meetings are difficult. Malik integrates his clinical approaches into these remote formats to help clients make progress in ways that suit their daily lives.