Boutaina Rahal, BACP - Therapist in United Kingdom

20 years experience
BACP registered
Speaks English and Arabic

About Boutaina

Boutaina Rahal offers calm, practical support for people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and life changes. She works with individuals who are struggling with mood concerns, relationship strain, grief, parenting challenges, and questions of identity. Sessions are conducted in English and Arabic, and her style aims to help people feel heard and to explore small steps forward.

Boutaina is a UK MBACP registered psychotherapist with 20 years of national and international experience. She draws on a range of therapeutic approaches, including client-centred work, cognitive behavioural ideas, emotionally-focused methods, existential thinking and Jungian perspectives. This mix allows her to adapt to each person’s needs and preferences.

Her practice includes supporting people who have experienced trauma, abuse, bipolar mood difficulties, ADHD and compassion fatigue. She also helps those facing career strain, caregiver stress, body image concerns and the fallout from separation and divorce. Boutaina notes coping with natural or human-caused disaster among areas she addresses.

Boutaina is of British Arab background and speaks English and Arabic. She also holds a British Sign Language certificate and is learning French and Spanish. Her international experience informs an awareness of cultural and identity issues that can appear in therapy.

She believes people know their own stories and aims to work alongside them to build on strengths. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

How her approaches translate to online support

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters to the person. In online sessions this means the counsellor helps people feel understood and guides conversations at the client’s pace. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and uses simple exercises to try new behaviours; online work can include talking through practical tools and homework between sessions. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) concentrates on emotions in relationships and personal bonds, helping people name feelings and practise new ways of connecting with themselves and others.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Boutaina will discuss different methods and tailor the way she works to each person’s goals, preferences and everyday life. That collaborative process helps decide whether to emphasise listening, skills-based work or emotional processing.

The practical benefits of online therapy include easier fitting of sessions into a busy week and fewer travel demands. Online appointments can make it simpler to have shorter check-ins or to plan sessions around work or caregiving commitments. The exact session formats offered are not specified here, so confirm current options before booking to be clear about how you will meet.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Trauma and abuse Self esteem Depression Coping with life changes

Also works with

LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

20+ years

Credentials

United Kingdom

Languages

English, Arabic

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Boutaina often help with?

She supports people with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, self-esteem and relationship or intimacy-related issues.

What is her therapeutic style like?

She uses a blend of client-centred listening, cognitive behavioural techniques and emotionally-focused work to help people notice patterns and try practical changes.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She brings 20 years of national and international experience working with adults across a wide range of concerns.

What professional credential does she hold and where is she based?

She is UK MBACP registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and practises from the United Kingdom.

Which languages are available for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English and Arabic; she is also learning French and Spanish and holds a British Sign Language certificate.

Can people outside the UK work with her?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How are fees and payment handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

What should I do to start therapy?

Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.