- Collaborative goal setting
- Emotion-focused support
- English and Gujarati
About Zahira
Zahira Virani is a counsellor who blends humanistic and relational approaches to help people facing difficult life moments. She offers a warm, accepting presence and aims to create a space where strong feelings can be felt and understood. Zahira uses a collaborative style and works with clients to set clear, realistic goals for therapy.
She has a background in family and youth work and several decades of helping people before training as a counsellor. That earlier work included group and one-to-one sessions with people affected by domestic violence, family breakdown and substance dependency. Zahira brings those practical experiences into her counselling conversations.
Zahira describes her practice as person-centred and systemic, drawing on attachment-based ideas and emotion-focused methods when they fit a client’s needs. She also uses cognitive and behavioural strategies and skills from dialectical behaviour therapy to help people manage strong emotions and change unhelpful patterns.
Typical concerns Zahira supports include stress, anxiety, relationship and parenting issues, grief, addiction, trauma and self-esteem. She also works with people coping with chronic health problems, caregiver strain and life transitions. Sessions can be shaped to focus on practical steps, emotional processing, or both.
Zahira is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She sees people in the United Kingdom and offers sessions in English and Gujarati. To begin, clients use the site Start Therapy button to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first appointment.
She has a background in family and youth work and several decades of helping people before training as a counsellor. That earlier work included group and one-to-one sessions with people affected by domestic violence, family breakdown and substance dependency. Zahira brings those practical experiences into her counselling conversations.
Zahira describes her practice as person-centred and systemic, drawing on attachment-based ideas and emotion-focused methods when they fit a client’s needs. She also uses cognitive and behavioural strategies and skills from dialectical behaviour therapy to help people manage strong emotions and change unhelpful patterns.
Typical concerns Zahira supports include stress, anxiety, relationship and parenting issues, grief, addiction, trauma and self-esteem. She also works with people coping with chronic health problems, caregiver strain and life transitions. Sessions can be shaped to focus on practical steps, emotional processing, or both.
Zahira is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP. She sees people in the United Kingdom and offers sessions in English and Gujarati. To begin, clients use the site Start Therapy button to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first appointment.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesDepressionCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyGottman MethodImago Relationship TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
6+ years
Credentials
BACP · United Kingdom
Languages
English, Gujarati
How her approaches translate to online counselling
Zahira uses attachment-based work to look at how early relationships shape present feelings and expectations. This approach helps when relationship patterns, intimacy concerns or attachment issues are causing distress.She also works in a client-centred way that focuses on the person in front of her. That means sessions tend to follow what matters most to the client and build practical steps from there. Cognitive behavioural techniques are used when helpful to identify unhelpful thoughts and try different ways of responding.
Finding the right approach is part of the process and will be decided together. Zahira will discuss goals, preferences and which methods feel most useful, and then shape sessions to match those aims. The work is collaborative and reviewed as it progresses.
If you are considering online sessions, please confirm the specific session formats available before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also makes it simpler to continue talking while managing ongoing health challenges or caregiving responsibilities.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she work with?
Zahira supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and parenting concerns, grief, addiction, trauma, self-esteem and many life changes.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is warm and person-centred, combining attachment-based and emotionally-focused ways of working with practical cognitive and behavioural strategies.
How long has she been practising?
She brings six years of professional counselling experience alongside several decades of earlier work in family and youth services.
Where is Zahira based and what credential does she hold?
She practises in the United Kingdom and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP.
Which languages can sessions be held in?
Sessions are offered in English and Gujarati.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I start therapy with her?
Use the Start Therapy button on the site, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.