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Chandana Rathnayake , BACP

Experienced mental health professional

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

At a glance

Chandana is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

5.0 stars
Clients are very satisfied with Chandana. View 19 reviews
Speaks English and Sinhala
Offers Telehealth visits
Licensed in United Kingdom

Recent reviews

Chandana is an insightful and supportive therapist. He is quick to offer constructive points of view while still challenging some of the statements or patterns of thought which have emerged over our meetings. Overall I would recommend him highly to anyone looking to dig a bit deeper into topics around self-image, esteem and acceptance

Reviewed Sep 2024

Chandana is really understanding with my situation and has been very helpful. He has offered me the opportunity to look at things from another perspective.

Reviewed Sep 2024

More about Chandana

  • 10 years' experience
  • Male
  • BACP

I started practicing as a counsellor in 2013 in Malaysia and moved to the UK in 2019. As a registered counsellor (BACP 00954738/382049) I also work as a mental health adviser for young adutls in higher education sector in the UK.

Prior to all this, I lived as a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka for twenty years and inherited a fair share of valuable life experiences from that chapter of my life. Growing up as monk, I received very traditional education which I later used to access formal education that included psychology and couselling. I left the monkhood to pursue worldly happiness of raising a family which I am enjoying at the moment.

Based on my work with people in the UK for the past three years, I am seeing my past personal and professional life experienes are blending to form a unique style of cousnelling. In this style, I find ways to improvise as we do back home so that I am able to help the person awaken themselves to utilise all the ingredients they bring into the sessions. The darker the materials, the more broken the pieces are... the better! Losses, betrayals, setbacks, hesitations, overthinking... all these are in my practice recycled into solid building materials that we are going to use for the collaborative rebuilding task ahead. As Yalom has said it is very hard for the grandma to explain how she made that stew so declicious. All we know is that she threw in some ingredients from time to time. I think counselling is like that.

But to leave you with some certainty... I would be a good fit for you if you are struggling to find purpose, motivation or direction in life. So this include career, education or even spirituality. I can also be useful in talking to if you are grieving or going through a dramatic change in life. I have also seen myself working effectively with people who have declared war on themselves. I am talking about lack of self-love, confidence or esteem. One more thing, as an ex-monk, I am no way a relationship expert. However, people who struggle in relationship domain also have benefited from my work (as individuals, not as couples though!).

Lastly, if you decided to come on board, that decision is going to improve my life as well. All the best wishes!

Specialties

Stress Anxiety Grief Self esteem Career difficulties Coping with life changes Compassion fatigue Attachment issues Codependency Emptiness Family of Origin Issues Family Problems Forgiveness Guilt and shame Life purpose Midlife crisis Multicultural Concerns Self-love Sexual Assault and Abuse Workplace issues Young Adult Issues

Treatment Approaches

  • Client-Centered Therapy
  • Existential Therapy

Licenses

  • BACP · United Kingdom · 382049 · Expires January 2025

About online counseling

Affordable.
Pay a low flat fee.
Convenient.
Do it at your own time and at your own pace. Communicate whenever you feel it's needed.
Available now.
There is no waiting list and no calls to make. Simply fill out a short questionnaire and send your first message.

Online counseling allows you to receive care from a mental health practitioner via phone, video chat, or instant messaging. It is convenient for those who may have trouble getting to or would prefer not to have in-person therapy appointments. Starting at $65 per week, online counseling is generally more affordable than in-person counseling. A study by researchers at University of California, Berkeley found that online counseling can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy while being more convenient, affordable, and accessible.

Reviews for Chandana Rathnayake

All reviews have been submitted by clients after seeing the provider.

Overall rating:

5.0

19 reviews

5
4
3
2
1

Clients mention: Helpful Recommend Great Understanding Professional Calm Excellent Insightful Listens Safe

Chandana is an insightful and supportive therapist. He is quick to offer constructive points of view while still challenging some of the statements or patterns of thought which have emerged over our meetings. Overall I would recommend him highly to anyone looking to dig a bit deeper into topics around self-image, esteem and acceptance

Reviewed Sep 2024

Chandana is really understanding with my situation and has been very helpful. He has offered me the opportunity to look at things from another perspective.

Reviewed Sep 2024

Extremely calm and understanding. He takes the time to listen and genuinely strives to understand your situation. Highly recommended!

Reviewed Jul 2024

Chandana has a fantastic way of giving me space and time to air my thoughts and concerns, even if I'm unsure of specifically what my actual concern is. He is patient and explains his thoughts in simplistic ways (even when the idea is complex), while also pushing me to find the answer myself as opposed to just telling me what he believes the correct answer is. I could not recommend him more.

Reviewed Jul 2024

Chandana is very insightful and helpful. I have had 3 sessions so far and he really helps me understand things better. He also gives me helpful tips that aid me in resolving problems. I really like working with him.

Reviewed Jun 2024

Chandana is an amazing therapist. I have worked with multiple different therapists over the years and I feel his approach and expertise have been the best I have seen. He explains things extremely well and gets to the root cause of the issues. It’s been life changing for me working with him.

Reviewed Jun 2024

Namal is excellent. Really great perspective, has been a significant amount of help to me.

Reviewed January 2024

Chandana (Namal as I know him) is an extremely wise and kind therapist who’s knowledge of both Eastern and Western approaches makes him uniquely placed to help you with your problems. Can’t recommend him highly enough.

Reviewed January 2024

Great man with a lot of experience, have an interesting back ground story that you can learn a lot of.

Reviewed Dec 2023

Only had 2 sessions and I’m extremely grateful to be paired with some one I feel really listens and understands my needs and I will be continuing for many months with this process.

Reviewed Dec 2023

He is an extremely understanding and respectful advisor. He mostly understands the situations that you explain to him and is willing to give you the most practical solutions to each issue.

Reviewed Oct 2023

Very attentive and helpful therapy. Right from the beginning Chandana was helpful and could identify what was going on. He did a great job of making me feel heard and also providing excellent insights into my problems, highly recommend.

Reviewed Oct 2023

Great therapist, highly recommend! He is very wise and kind and a great listener

Reviewed Oct 2023

I hope this review finds you well. Therapy hasn’t been an easy door for me to open having failed with others previously and my own reluctance to engage. I felt ‘better’ than it, as a health professional I know how absurd that sounds. I became increasingly overwhelmed and felt a lack of control that I needed to address. As a high achiever, I have high expectations for myself thus I knew I needed to process these changes and rise above. Conquer them in a safe environment which meditation, mindfulness and exercise was not sufficient for. All to deal with grief of losing a parent and discovering myself. I was particular about the therapist I needed. Someone calm and understanding with experience of my culture and traditions. Within one conversation I was understood, validated and completely reassured I was in safe hands. I have been so effortlessly yet carefully guided through my difficulties with such an individualise approach I would recommend Chandana to anyone. He replies timely even out of hours, he never leaves me unheard or unnoticed. He recognises my pain and remains professional but empathetic. I finally have hope. This service and the user experience provides ease that removes obstacles some systems can add. Try it and give Chandana a chance to change your life as he has mine.

Reviewed Sep 2023

Very much appreciate my time spent with him. I believe i have made quite some progress and have learned to look at things differently which were in the past difficult

Reviewed Aug 2023

An insightfull man with alot to offer even though we come from two different backgrounds. Im very happy with working with him.

Reviewed Jul 2023

Namal is hidden gem. Much more than I ever expected in any therapist. The sessions started at a very challenging time for me personally and professionally and he has helped me immensely to navigate my way through it. Thank you so much!

Reviewed March 2023

If you're a man or woman in need of an inteligent therapist who is willing to listen and help you shift your perspective on the challenges you're going through then, this might just be your best pick. He listens and helps in a way that no other therapist has been able to do.

Reviewed February 2023

very helpful and professional

Reviewed February 2023

How was your experience with Chandana?

Frequently asked questions

Does Chandana Rathnayake offer telehealth visits?

Yes. Chandana Rathnayake works with clients by exchanging messages, chatting live, speaking over the phone, or video conferencing based on what works for the client at that particular time.

What language(s) does Chandana Rathnayake speak?

Chandana Rathnayake speaks English and Sinhala.

How many years of experience does Chandana Rathnayake have?

Chandana Rathnayake has 10 years of experience.

Where is Chandana Rathnayake licensed to practice?

Chandana Rathnayake is licensed to practice in the United Kingdom.

Does Chandana Rathnayake accept clients outside of the United Kingdom?

No, Chandana Rathnayake does not accept clients outside of the United Kingdom.

Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Numerous studies support the effectiveness of online platforms in facilitating life changes. For instance, research published by JMIR Publications, conducted by teams from the University of Berkeley, UCSF, and SF General Hospital, found that "users of BetterHelp experienced significantly reduced depression symptom severity after engaging with the platform."

What treatment approaches does Chandana Rathnayake offer?

Chandana Rathnayake offers clients Client-Centered Therapy and Existential Therapy.

How can I communicate with Chandana Rathnayake ?

Chandana Rathnayake can be engaged in any one of four ways: (1) Exchanging messages, (2) chatting live, (3) speaking over the phone, or (4) video conferencing. You can use different ways at different times as you wish, based on your needs, availability, and convenience.

How do I get started with Chandana Rathnayake ?

Just tap the CHAT NOW button or tap here: A new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.

Mental health conditions are real, common, and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

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Live Chat
Phone
Video

When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.