Joonas Vehvilainen, BACP

Joonas Vehvilainen brings an international perspective to his work, having been born in Finland and lived in Thailand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. His early curiosity about how the mind and brain operate led him to study psychology at the University of York, where he completed his undergraduate degree in 2014 and explored topics such as social psychology, mental health disorders, and addiction. He then deepened his interest in the biology of behaviour with a master’s degree in neuroscience at King’s College London in 2015, focusing on the mechanisms behind addiction and mental health.

Joonas gained practical experience in London from 2016, working as a healthcare assistant in a mental health unit and as a recovery worker in supported accommodations for people facing mental health and addiction challenges. In 2019 he began a master’s in addiction psychology and counselling at London South Bank University while working part-time as a counsellor for the NHS, Humankind, and WDP between 2019 and 2021. These roles helped him refine skills in assessment, psychoeducation, coping strategies, and emotional support.

In 2021 he became a member of the BACP, the UK professional association for counsellors and psychotherapists, and over recent years he has accumulated more than 1,000 hours of counselling. In 2022 he launched his private practice and also worked as an addiction therapist at Castle Craig Hospital in Scotland. His varied clinical and academic background underpins a practical, compassionate approach to supporting people facing mental health and addiction-related difficulties.

Therapeutic approaches that work well online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice unhelpful thoughts and make room for valued actions. It emphasizes psychological flexibility and useful strategies for coping with stress, anxiety, addiction-related urges, and difficulties with motivation.

Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relationships shape current patterns in intimacy, trust, and emotional regulation. This approach can be helpful for people struggling with attachment issues, codependency, relationship difficulties, and challenges related to separation or fatherhood.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and Joonas treats this as a collaborative task. He works with clients to identify goals, preferences, and practical needs, then tailors techniques and interventions so the therapy style fits the individual rather than forcing a single model.

Online therapy offers flexibility to fit work, family, and geographic constraints. Video calls recreate face-to-face interaction, phone sessions are useful when a visual connection is not needed, and live chat or text messaging can support short check-ins or ongoing contact between sessions. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and access consistent support from a registered professional regardless of location.