Counsellor profile
Joonas Vehvilainen, BACP
Counsellor - Anxiety and Addictions
See online counselling options- ACT
- CBT
- Attachment work
About Joonas
Counsellor and BACP member with four years' experience, Joonas Vehvilainen helps people in the United Kingdom with stress, anxiety, addictions, eating concerns, self-esteem and ADHD. He also works with trauma and abuse, grief, anger, depression and intimacy-related issues. Sessions are offered in English and Finnish and he accepts international clients.
Joonas trained in psychology and neuroscience and later studied addiction psychology and counselling. He has worked in mental health units and supported accommodation, and has experience as a recovery worker. He has over 1,000 hours of counselling practice and has worked with NHS services and specialist addiction organisations.
In sessions he uses a mix of approaches that include cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, attachment-based work, dialectical behaviour therapy and client-centred methods. He focuses on practical skills, understanding patterns, and clear discussion about feelings and behaviour. Work often includes learning coping strategies and looking at how habits and relationships affect daily life.
People can expect a direct, conversational approach. The counsellor aims to understand what is causing distress and to try practical steps that can be practised between meetings. He pays attention to attachment and relationship patterns alongside current symptoms such as anxiety or cravings.
His background in addiction work informs how he approaches substance-related problems and behavioural compulsion. He also helps with issues around identity, body image and fatherhood questions. To start, clients are asked to complete a short questionnaire and then schedule a first session.
How his approaches are used in online counselling
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts without getting stuck in them and focus on actions that matter to them. It can be useful for anxiety, low mood and problems with motivation. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and teaches practical techniques to change unhelpful patterns; this is often used for anxiety, depression and some types of addictive behaviour. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationship patterns affect current relationships and emotional responses; it can help with intimacy issues, attachment difficulties and some forms of trauma.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The counsellor will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs and will suggest which methods to try together. Decisions about techniques and pacing are collaborative and can change as the work progresses.
The practical benefits of online counselling include fitting sessions around work or family commitments and avoiding travel time. Different session arrangements suit different people for reasons such as shorter check-ins, not needing to use video, or fitting a session into a lunch break. Confirm the exact session formats available before booking so you know what will work for your routine.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English, Finnish
Frequently asked questions
What problems does he help with most often?
He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, eating concerns, low self-esteem and ADHD, plus trauma, grief and depression.
How would you describe his therapeutic style?
He uses a practical, conversational style that focuses on skills, patterns and real-life changes rather than abstract theory.
What experience does he have?
He has four years of counselling experience, over 1,000 hours of sessions and prior roles in mental health units and supported accommodation.
Which professional body is he registered with?
He is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP.
Does he work in other languages or with overseas clients?
Sessions are offered in English and Finnish, and he accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats.
How are sessions charged?
Cost varies with location; sessions are provided via a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to book?
Select the See online counselling options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A membership or registration can be checked on the professional body's own register.
Online counselling is not emergency care. In an emergency call 999, or see the help numbers.