Madeleine Heffernan, BACP

Therapeutic approaches for online parenting support

Madeleine commonly uses psychodynamic therapy to help people understand how past experiences shape current feelings and relationship patterns. This approach looks at recurring themes in a person’s story to make sense of why certain reactions keep happening and to open up new ways of relating.

She also draws on cognitive behavioural therapy, which focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and behaviours and trying small, practical changes. CBT-style tasks can include short exercises or observations to do between sessions to test new ways of thinking and acting. Emotionally-Focused Therapy is used to understand and change emotional responses in relationships, helping people notice core emotions and respond with more connection and clarity.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Madeleine will talk with the person about their goals, preferences and what feels most useful, then adapt methods over time. Together they decide which ideas to try first and how to measure progress.

Online therapy lets people access these approaches by video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. Video works well for face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions suit those with lower bandwidth or who prefer not to be on camera, and messaging can be useful for brief check-ins or ongoing notes between meetings. These options offer flexibility to fit therapy around work, caregiving and daily life.