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Portrait of Melinda Shahzad

Melinda Shahzad

Integrative Counsellor

  • Anxiety & worry
  • Low mood & depression
  • Relationship problems

In person and online

Session languages: Magyar, English, Deutsch, Română

“Person-centred counselling to help you become more fully yourself”

Verified by Kyan

About Melinda

I'm a qualified Integrative Counsellor, and I believe that everyone deserves a place where they can pause and be heard while taking care of their mental health. I work with adults facing anxiety and panic, depression and low mood, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, trauma, stress and burnout, grief and loss, or life transitions. I welcome clients from immigrant and multicultural backgrounds, and I take a neuro-affirmative approach.

I hold a degree in Integrative Counselling and I am a certified Mental Health First Aider. I am enhanced DBS checked and continue to learn through ongoing professional development and supervision.

I speak English, German, Romanian and Hungarian. Being multilingual, I understand that language can be much more than a way of communicating. It can be closely connected to our identity, culture, relationships, memories and sense of belonging. You can express yourself in the language you feel most comfortable using. I see clients in Southend-on-Sea, online and by phone.

How Melinda works

My main approach is person-centred, which means that I value you as the expert in your own experience. As an integrative counsellor, I also draw on psychodynamic ideas, CBT and mindfulness, shaping our work around your needs rather than expecting you to fit one model. I take a neuro-affirmative approach, recognising that people experience, process and interact with the world in different ways. My role is not to tell you who you should be. I will work alongside you, with curiosity, compassion and respect, to help you understand yourself more deeply and explore what you may need moving forward.

Approaches

General information from Kyan about each method, not a description of how Melinda works.

Person-centred therapy

Person-centred therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, starts from the idea that you are the expert on your own life. The therapist offers warmth, empathy and genuine attention without steering the conversation, so you can explore what matters to you at your own pace. Many people find it helps them feel heard and grow in confidence and self-understanding.

Integrative therapy

Integrative therapy combines ideas and methods from different therapeutic approaches, chosen to suit you and what you bring. Rather than following one model, the therapist adapts the work as it goes along. This flexibility can help when needs change over time.

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy explores how earlier experiences, and feelings you may not be fully aware of, shape your life today. Patterns that show up in your relationships, and sometimes in the relationship with the therapist, become something to understand together. It is often used for recurring difficulties with mood, relationships and self-esteem.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioural therapy looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions keep each other going. Together you notice the patterns that hold a problem in place and try out new ways of thinking and acting, often with small practical tasks between sessions. It is widely used for anxiety, low mood, stress and sleep problems.

Mindfulness-based therapy

Mindfulness-based therapy uses practices that train attention on the present moment, with openness rather than judgement. Noticing thoughts and feelings without being carried away by them can reduce stress and help break cycles of worry or low mood. Programmes such as MBSR and MBCT are well-known examples.

Who Melinda works with

  • Adults
  • Neurodivergent people
  • Migrants & refugees

Focus areas

  • Anxiety & worry
  • Low mood & depression
  • Relationship problems
  • Self-esteem & confidence
  • Trauma & post-traumatic stress
  • Burnout & exhaustion
  • Neurodivergence
  • Cultural identity and living between languages

Checked by Kyan · Nov 2026

  • Registered Member MBACP, BACP Register, no. 422563

    Register number 422563

    Registration checked · British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy · Nov 2026 · View the register entry

Kyan found Melinda’s registration current in the official register named here, on the date shown. How Kyan checks

Training and qualifications

Education

  • Degree in Integrative Counselling

Further training

  • Certified Mental Health First Aider

Education, further training and memberships as Melinda listed them. Kyan hasn’t checked these.

Sessions and prices

  • Individual sessionGBP 55

    50 min · Online · In person

    A 50-minute session, online or in person in Southend-on-Sea, in English, German, Romanian or Hungarian.

  • Initial consultationNo charge

    20 min · Online

    A free first conversation to see whether we are a good fit.

Practical details

Session languages
Magyar, English, Deutsch, Română
Meeting formats
In person · Online

Questions and answers

Which languages do you offer counselling in?

Counselling is available in English, German, Hungarian and Romanian, so you can express yourself in the language you feel most comfortable using.

Can I have sessions online or by phone?

Yes. I offer sessions in person in Southend-on-Sea, online and by phone.

Do you have evening or weekend appointments?

Yes, I offer evening and weekend slots.

Can we talk before starting?

Yes. I offer a free 20-minute initial consultation.

How do you work?

My main approach is person-centred, and as an integrative counsellor I draw from a range of approaches. My aim is not to fix you, but to help you become more fully yourself.

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The order changes every day and isn’t a ranking. How we order people

Kyan checks registrations and credentials and shows the date of each check. Profiles without a check mark are active Kyan Health network counsellors whose check is still open. How Kyan checks

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