Chandana Rathnayake , BACP, NCPS

Chandana Rathnayake began his counselling practice in Malaysia in 2013 and relocated to the United Kingdom in 2019, bringing a blend of professional training and deep personal experience to his work. He is a registered counsellor with credentials BACP and NCPS - BACP is the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and NCPS is a recognised professional counselling credential - and also serves as a mental health adviser for young adults in the higher education sector in the UK.

Before training in psychology and counselling, Chandana spent twenty years living as a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, receiving a traditional education that later helped him enter formal studies in mental health. He left the monkhood to pursue family life, and those earlier years continue to inform his therapeutic perspective. Over time his personal and professional histories have combined into a distinctive counselling style that emphasises practical improvisation and the client’s own resources.

In sessions he invites clients to engage with whatever they bring - even the darker, more broken parts - and to repurpose losses, betrayals, and setbacks as material for rebuilding. He works collaboratively to help people find purpose, motivation, or direction in areas such as career, education, or spirituality, and offers support for grief, major life changes, and struggles with self-worth. While not positioned as a couples therapist, he has experience helping individuals address relationship difficulties. People who choose to work with him can expect a compassionate, experience-informed approach aimed at awakening strengths and practical steps forward.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Chandana commonly draws on Client-Centered Therapy and Existential Therapy, with additional work informed by Internal Family Systems. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on creating an accepting, non-directive space where the client’s own goals guide the work - it is useful for building self-esteem, exploring values, and strengthening motivation. Existential Therapy helps people explore meaning, purpose, and the challenges of life transitions, and can be particularly helpful when someone is questioning life direction or facing major change. Internal Family Systems offers a way to understand inner parts or subpersonalities and to bring compassion to conflicted or self-critical parts, which supports work on shame, self-criticism, and coping patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Chandana works collaboratively with each person to identify what fits best based on their needs, goals, and preferences. He adapts methods as those needs evolve, prioritising a style that uses the client’s strengths and experiences.

Online therapy with Chandana is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to access support from home or during busy schedules. These options provide flexibility in how sessions are arranged and let clients choose the format that feels most comfortable for them while working with registered professionals and therapists.