Chandana Rathnayake

Chandana Rathnayake works with people facing anger, stress and anxiety. He also helps with grief, low self-esteem and depression. Parents and those coping with major life changes often come for support. He has ten years' experience and brings a calm, straightforward presence to sessions.

Chandana began counselling in 2013 in Malaysia and moved to the United Kingdom in 2019. He previously spent twenty years living as a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, and says those years shaped his outlook and how he listens. He later studied psychology and counselling and now combines those influences in his work.

His style is collaborative and practical. He uses what a person already knows about themselves and helps turn difficult feelings into useful material for change. He talks plainly about setbacks, overthinking and loss, and looks for simple, usable steps people can try between sessions.

Chandana lists Client-Centred Therapy, Existential Therapy, Internal Family Systems and Systemic Therapy among his approaches. He draws on these to help with purpose, motivation and direction in life, and to support people dealing with addictions, trauma or relationship difficulties as individuals. He notes he does not offer couples therapy.

He is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and holds NCPS. Sessions are offered in English and Sinhala and he works with international clients from the United Kingdom.

How his approaches work well online

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on helping a person feel heard and understood so they can find their own solutions; this approach is useful for issues like low self-esteem, depression and anger where a supportive relationship matters. Existential Therapy looks at questions of meaning, purpose and direction in life and can help people feeling stuck about career, education or life changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The counsellor will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most helpful, then try ways of working that fit the person. Decisions about methods are made collaboratively and can shift as progress is made.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy week, reduce travel and allow shorter check-ins when time is limited. It can also help people continue therapy if they move between countries, provided scheduling is agreed in advance.