Counsellor profile
Sandra 'Sandy' Vado, NCPS
Counsellor - addictions and relationships
See online counselling options- Attachment-based
- Client-centred
- Trauma-focused
About Sandra
Counsellor and member of NCPS with nine years' experience, Sandra 'Sandy' Vado helps people with addictions, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, and LGBT matters. She also supports those facing major life changes, parenting strain, intimacy issues and self-esteem challenges. Sandra works in the United Kingdom and talks with clients in English, Spanish, French and Haitian Creole.
Sandra uses a conversational, client-centred way of working. Sessions focus on what the person brings each week and on practical steps that feel doable. She listens for patterns in relationships and behaviour, and helps people notice how early attachment experiences affect current choices. When trauma is present she pays attention to its impact on daily life and on safety in relationships.
Sessions are straightforward and paced to the individual's needs. Topics Sandra often works through include abandonment, adoption and foster care issues, attachment concerns, codependency and communication problems. She also supports people dealing with career stress, divorce and separation, and neurodiversity-related matters such as autism and attention differences.
Sandra aims to make space for honest feeling and clear thinking. She encourages clients to try approaches in-session and reflect on what feels helpful. Over time this can change how someone handles conflict, intimacy and coping under pressure.
People meet Sandra to talk about specific problems like control issues, dissociation, caregiver stress and commitment worries. She asks practical questions, outlines possible ways forward, and helps agree small, manageable steps between sessions.
How Sandra uses client-centred and trauma approaches online
Sandra draws on client-centred methods that prioritise the person's immediate concerns and choices. This approach means sessions follow what the client brings, with the counsellor asking questions and reflecting back to help clarify feelings and options. It suits work on self-esteem, communication and relationship decisions.Attachment-based work looks at how early relationships shape current patterns. Sandra helps people identify recurring dynamics in close relationships and consider different ways of responding. This can be useful for commitment issues, intimacy problems and codependency.
Trauma-focused methods concentrate on how past harm affects daily coping and relationships. The focus is on practical steps to manage symptoms and on rebuilding a sense of stability in everyday life. Sandra will work at a pace set by the client and will discuss methods that might be helpful as the work progresses.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Sandra will talk with each person about goals, preferences and what feels manageable. Together they decide which elements to try and review progress over time.
The original profile does not list specific session formats, so check the platform for current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around work, family or study. They also allow shorter check-ins, fewer travel demands and easier access for international clients when that suits someone's schedule.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
9+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English, Spanish, French, Haitian Creole
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly help with?
Sandra works with addictions, relationship problems, trauma and LGBT-related issues. She also covers parenting, self-esteem, career strain and ADHD-related challenges.
What is her general approach in sessions?
She uses client-centred listening and practical discussion. The work often looks at attachment patterns and the effects of trauma on daily life.
How much experience does she have?
She has nine years of professional experience working with the issues listed in her profile.
What credentials and location are listed?
Her listed credential is NCPS and she works in the United Kingdom.
Which languages can sessions be held in?
Sessions are offered in English, Spanish, French and Haitian Creole. She also accepts international clients.
Which session formats are available?
The original profile does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Fees vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
What should I do to begin?
Use 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.