Counsellor profile
Aldona Olchanowska, BACP
Counsellor - Relationships and family concerns
Continue with AldonaAbout
- Client-centred work
- Motivational interviewing
- Systemic perspective
About Aldona
Aldona Olchanowska is a counsellor and psychotherapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She has around 20 years of professional experience and works with people facing relationship and family concerns alongside grief, depression, anxiety and stress.
Aldona trained in Poland and the United States, with an MS in Special Education from Warsaw University and an M.Ed. in Counselling and Guidance from North Dakota State University. She also studied clinical social work for a year at the University of Denver and has worked in treatment and educational settings in Poland, the USA and the UK.
In practice she listens to what matters most to the person in front of her. She uses an integrative approach and draws on client-centred methods, motivational interviewing and systemic ideas to support change. Sessions aim to help people look at relationships, parenting pressures, patterns from a family of origin, and practical steps for coping with loss or life changes.
Aldona supports people with a wide range of concerns including trauma and abuse, addictions, eating and sleeping problems, intimacy-related issues, anger and self-esteem and neurodiversity-related struggles such as ADHD. She also works with issues linked to ageing, caregiving stress, blended family arrangements and separation.
She offers an affirmative practice for people of different backgrounds and for LGBT clients. Sessions proceed at a steady pace, with space to talk through current difficulties and to plan small, practical changes.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
A client-centred approach focuses on the person in front of the therapist. It uses listening and reflection to help people clarify what matters and to make their own decisions. This approach can help with emotional issues, self-esteem and relationship concerns.Motivational interviewing helps people move through ambivalence about change. It uses straightforward conversation to identify motivations and plan small steps. This can be useful for addictions, behaviour change and coping with life transitions.
Systemic ideas look at patterns in relationships and family connections. They help identify repeating dynamics and practical ways to alter them, which can be useful for blended family issues, communication problems and caregiving stress.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Aldona will discuss options with the client and choose methods together based on needs and preferences. That collaborative process helps shape goals and weekly focus.
Confirm the online session formats offered before booking. Many people find online work easier to fit around parenting, work and travel because it reduces travel time and allows shorter check-ins between commitments. If a quieter setting or lower bandwidth is helpful, those practical needs can shape how sessions are scheduled and conducted.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English, Polish
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with relationship and family concerns, grief, depression, anxiety, stress and addictions, among other issues listed in her profile.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is integrative, drawing on client-centred methods, motivational interviewing and systemic thinking to focus on relationships and practical change.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Aldona has around 20 years of experience working in treatment and educational settings across Poland, the USA and the UK.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is based in the United Kingdom.
Can sessions be held in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English and Polish.
Does she work with people outside the UK?
She accepts international clients.
How are sessions arranged and what formats are available?
Please confirm current session formats before booking by using the see online therapy options button and the matching questionnaire provided.
How are fees handled and how do I begin?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time. To begin, select the see online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.