Dr. Ana Cristina Atanes
Compassionate counsellor blending mindfulness and practical tools
About Ana
Dr Ana Cristina Atanes trained as an integral therapeutic counsellor and works from the United Kingdom. She holds a BACP credential which indicates membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She has five years of clinical experience and speaks English and Portuguese.
Her practice focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, addiction and low self-esteem using practical, conversational methods. Her training includes studies at master’s and doctoral level where she researched stress, burnout and compassion fatigue.
Background and approach
That research informs her work with people facing chronic pain, long-term illness, and workplace strain. She often uses mindfulness and self-compassion techniques developed during her postgraduate studies to help people build steady routines and reduce rumination. In sessions she blends different styles so the work fits the person rather than a single method.
She draws on cognitive behavioural ideas to spot unhelpful thought patterns and on psychodynamic thinking to look at recurring life themes. Client-centred principles shape how she listens and responds in a warm, non-judgemental way. People come to her for a wide range of concerns beyond anxiety and depression.
This includes trouble sleeping, anger, career crossroads, codependency, smoking or vaping cessation, and issues around guilt and shame. She also supports those struggling with isolation, midlife transitions and finding life purpose. Dr Atanes aims for clear, practical steps and emotional validation in equal measure.
Sessions tend to be collaborative and paced to suit the person’s needs and energy. She accepts clients internationally and will work in English or Portuguese.
What Ana works with
How Ana works
Listed by Ana among the ways they work.
Listed by Ana among the ways they work.
Listed by Ana among the ways they work.
Listed by Ana among the ways they work.
Listed by Ana among the ways they work.
Sessions & fees
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice what really matters and take small steps toward those values even when feelings are strong. It supports issues like anxiety, depression and problems with motivation by teaching practical exercises to act on purpose rather than avoid discomfort.Mindfulness Therapy focuses on present moment awareness and self-compassion practices. It is useful for stress, burnout, chronic pain and sleep problems because it teaches simple habits to reduce rumination and soothe a busy mind.
Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. The therapist works collaboratively to pick or combine methods based on the person’s goals and preferences. That means sessions can shift over time as needs change and progress is made.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. Video calls are good for face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions may suit those with limited bandwidth, and brief check-ins work well over live chat or messaging. These options make therapy more flexible for work, caregiving or travel and let people fit therapy into busy lives.
| Session length | Typically 50 minutes |
|---|---|
| Client ages | Adults, 18 and over |
| Fees | Subscription via BetterHelp, cancel anytime |
| Insurance | Not billed directly |
Questions people ask
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Areas of focus
What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family problems
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 5 years
- Registered with
- BACP
- Languages
- English, Portuguese
