Holistic Jungian therapist specializing in trauma and relationships
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!
Licensed · Professional · Cancel Anytime
Chandana Rathnayake began practising as a counsellor in 2013 in Malaysia and relocated to the United Kingdom in 2019. He is a registered counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), registration numbers 00954738/382049, and also works as a mental health adviser supporting young adults in the higher education sector in the UK.
Before training in psychology and counselling, Chandana lived for twenty years as a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka. That period provided a traditional education and shaped many personal insights that later informed his decision to pursue formal studies in mental health. He left the monkhood to raise a family, which he now enjoys.
Across his work in the UK over the past three years, Chandana has found that his personal and professional experiences combine into a distinctive counselling style. He often adapts familiar, practical approaches so clients can recognise and use the strengths they bring into sessions. Difficult experiences such as losses, betrayals and setbacks are reframed as raw materials to be transformed into something stable and useful for rebuilding.
Chandana borrows a simple image attributed to Yalom—that it is hard for a grandmother to explain exactly how she made a stew delicious, yet the result speaks for itself—and applies a similar humility to the counselling process. He encourages clients to explore and awaken resources they already carry rather than looking for a prescribed formula.
He is likely to be a good fit for people struggling to find purpose, motivation or direction in life, including matters of career, education or spirituality. He also supports clients who are grieving or navigating dramatic life changes, and those dealing with low self-love, low confidence or low self-esteem. Although he does not present himself as a relationship expert, individuals facing relationship difficulties have benefited from his work (he does not offer couples therapy).
If someone chooses to work with Chandana, he believes that decision will enrich his own life as well. He welcomes the collaborative nature of therapy and offers his experience to help clients move toward clearer direction and greater resilience.
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