"It's your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you." Rumi
RAHA Counselling in Leeds
Raha Counselling was established on the principle that every individual should have access to compassionate, professional support during life’s most difficult moments.
We provide a safe, confidential environment available both in person and remotely where clients are encouraged to explore their thoughts, emotions and experiences without fear or judgment. At Raha Counselling, you are respected, heard and supported no matter the challenges you maybe facing.
Our team of highly qualified counsellors come from diverse backgrounds and areas of specialisation, enabling us to address a broad spectrum of emotional and psychological needs. Whether you’re struggling with grief, anxiety, relationship issues, or simply need someone to talk to, we are here to help. Speaking with a qualified professional outside of your immediate world can be a vital first step towards healing and clarity.
Helping You
The truth is, life can sometimes feel incredibly difficult-especially when you’ve spent years navigating complex relationships, internal self-criticism, or the emotional consequences of growing up with caregivers who struggled to manage emotions.
You may be facing significant life events such as redundancy, divorce, illness, or the loss of a loved one. Or perhaps you’re living with the weight of anxiety, trauma, grief, sadness, or a mix of overwhelming thoughts and emotions. You might experience a sense of isolation or disconnection, even from those closest to you.
If any of this feels familiar, know that support is here when you’re ready. Feel free to reach out to us and look at our counsellors’ profiles to find someone who feels like the right fit for you.
At Raha Counselling we offer an impartial, compassionate presence. We do not judge; instead, we listen with empathy and care. Our goal is to create a safe and supportive space for you to reflect and gently explore what may be happening beneath the surface.
Meet The Team
Shamim Akhtar
I am an experienced counsellor with over 12 years of practice, offering both online and in-person counselling to support individuals in navigating a wide range of life’s challenges. These may include anxiety, depression, bereavement, redundancy, relationship issues, social anxiety, low self-esteem, life transitions, workplace stress, eating disorders, and more.
Many of my clients find themselves struggling with self-doubt, overthinking, and a relentless inner critic, often feeling disconnected from their true selves.
In our work together, we will explore the issues you’re facing, while also developing practical tools and fostering deeper self-awareness. My aim is to help you build resilience, reconnect with your sense of self, and move forward with clarity and confidence.
I adhere to the BACP’s ethical framework (available here) and am committed to ongoing professional development to ensure safe, ethical, and effective practice.
I also offer supportive, ethical, and collaborative supervision to trainee and qualified counsellors.
My supervision style is grounded in the integrative approach, with a strong emphasis on reflective practice, professional development, and client welfare. I am committed to creating a safe and encouraging space for practitioners to explore their work, build confidence, and deepen their therapeutic understanding.
Click to learn about my approach, background, accreditation and fees
I am an integrative counsellor, which means I use a range of therapeutic approaches to provide support that is tailored to everyone’s unique needs.
I offer a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I believe that no two clients are alike, and I tailor the sessions to suit your personal journey.
I have extensive experience supporting clients with a wide range of emotional and psychological challenges, including anxiety, loneliness, grief, loss, low mood, self-esteem, bullying, body image concerns, self-harm, low confidence, relationship issues, trauma, work-related stress and life transitions. I have worked with several counselling organisations, including:
- The Haven project – Counselling and working holistically with refugees and asylum seekers. Supporting clients from diverse backgrounds, often dealing with complex and sensitive issues such as trauma, abuse, loss and identity.
- Women’s Counselling and Therapeutic Service- Counselling and supporting women within the community, delivering psycho educational courses to ethnic minority women at different community venues.
- Solace – Counselling, asylum seekers and refugees, providing psycho educational workshops in hotel settings. Offering a culturally informed approach, supporting individuals with the complex impact of displacement, trauma and cultural transition.
- Mosaic- Counselling and supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse, as well as supporting family members affected by this trauma.
- Place2be- One-to-one emotional and mental health support to children in a primary school setting. Using play therapy and creative techniques.
- Nuffield Health-Mental health support services. Providing solution focussed counselling.
- Health Assured-Employee Assistant programme (EAP) – providing short-term solution focussed counselling.
- IPRS – Mental Health Service. Providing a wide range of mild to moderate mental health solutions to clients through employers, insurers and government organisations.
I am a recognised provider with several health insurance and employee assistance programme (EAP) providers including Bupa, Aviva, AXA Health, Allianz Partners, Vitality Health, IPRS Health and Health Assured.
I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). This means I have met the BACP’s higher standard of competence, training and ethical practice. Accreditation is awarded to experienced therapists who can demonstrate a high level of clinical skill and a strong commitment to ongoing professional development.
Remote/Online £60
Face to Face £70
Asham Mohammad
I am a qualified person-centred counsellor and a registered member of the BACP. My approach is grounded in the core principles of empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard, offering clients a supportive and non-judgemental space to explore their experiences at their own pace.
I have experience working with individuals facing trauma, loss, identity challenges, and the emotional impact of major life transitions. My practice is culturally sensitive and trauma-informed, shaped by work with clients from a wide range of backgrounds and life circumstances.
I am committed to ethical, inclusive counselling that empowers clients to navigate their own path towards healing and personal growth. I work collaboratively, always placing the client at the centre of the therapeutic relationship.
Learn about my approach, background and accreditation
My counselling approach is person centred, which places the client at the heart of the therapeutic process. I believe that each individual has the capacity for growth, healing and self-understanding when provided with the right core conditions: empathy, acceptance and authenticity.
I offer a safe, non-judgemental space where clients can explore their thoughts, feelings and experience at their own pace.
As a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), I work within a professional ethical framework that prioritises safety, confidentiality and respect for all clients.
My practice is informed by Trauma awareness and cultural sensitivity. I have experience working with clients from a variety of backgrounds, many of whom have faced significant life transitionss, identity challenges, or emotional distress. I adapt my work to meet the unique needs of each individual, always respecting their pace and process.
Asylum seekers support: My experience working with individulas who have faced displacement and instability has deepened my understanding of trauma, resilience and the importance of cultural sensitivity in therapeutic work. It has strengthened my commitment to providing inclusive, compassionate support that respects each person’s background, values, and lived experience.
Telephone/Online £40
We can help with the following:
- Depression and anxiety
- Childhood trauma
- Abuse recovery
- Low mood and self-worth
- Self-harm
- Suicidal ideation
- Sexual issues
- Relationship challenges
- Infidelity recovery
- Navigating polyamorous relationships
- Feeling stuck and aimless
- Neurodivergence (including ADHD and autism)
- Communication challenges
- Shame and guilt
- Attachment issues
- Eating disorders
- Transitioning and body dysphoria
- Developing boundaries
- Inner child work
- Loneliness
- and more
The process
Starting therapy or beginning with a new therapist can feel daunting. To ensure our counsellors are the right fit for you, we offer a free 20-minute consultation phone call. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions, discuss your concerns and ensure you feel confident in choosing a counsellor who understands your unique challenges and is the right fit for your journey.
Sessions will last 50 minutes and will be offered on a weekly basis or at a frequency that suits your individual needs and schedule. During this dedicated time, please ensure you are in a confidential place where you cannot be interrupted. Therapy sessions are about focusing on yourself, and creating the right environment is essential for self-exploration.
Your progress and well-being are a key part of therapy. We will review our work together regularly to ensure you are getting the most out of your sessions. We will assess progress, examine our collaborative process, identify areas of focus, discuss challenges you may be experiencing, and evaluate what strategies are working effectively.
Sessions are confidential, supportive, and guided by your pace and needs.
Mental Health Workshops
Alongside our counselling work, we also offer interactive workshops designed to provide tools, insights, and practical strategies for personal growth and wellbeing.
Our workshops create a safe and supportive space and are designed to encourage reflection, connection and growth. Each workshop blends education with reflection with the aim of creating understanding and building practical tools that participants can take into their daily lives and the opportunity to explore important topics in a meaningful way.
Our workshops create a safe and supportive space where individuals and groups can come together to learn, share, and connect. Each workshop blends education with reflection, giving participants the opportunity to explore important topics in a meaningful way.
Workshop themes may include:
- Managing stress and building resilience
- Mindfulness and self-compassion
- Improving communication and relationships
- Personal development and self-esteem
We deliver workshops for community groups, workplaces, and organisations adapting our approach to meet the needs of each setting.
If you would like to find out about upcoming workshops or discuss arranging a bespoke session for your team or group, please get in touch.
Testimonials
Cancellation Policy
If less than 24 hours notice is given, the full fee will normally be charged.
Availability:
Our normal working hours are between 10:00am and 8:00pm Monday – Friday
Your Questions Answered
On your first contact I will offer you a short telephone conversation to see if we can work together. Then I will forward you a contract for you to agree to send back to me. In the contract we would agree to work for a number of sessions together before we review our work. The contract will include confidentiality, costs, appointment arrangements and so on. We will then start working together as agreed. Each session will be 50 mins in length booked in advance. In each session I will offer you the space to discuss and explore what it is that you are bringing to therapy. I will work with you to help you address and resolve these issues. After a number of agreed sessions, we will review our work and decide how or if we go forward together.
I work relationally using empathy, unconditional positive regard in a non judgmental way. In cases where you find you have specific goals you need to address, I may use a solution focussed approach or cognitive behavioural therapy which will help hyou manage your emotions and problems by changing the way you think and behave.
Counselling is more likely to refer to short term talking therapy and can last a number of weeks or months. Psychotherapy, meanwhile, is likely to be open ended and can last a number of months or years. This is because counselling might help to address a current difficulty whereas psychotherapy might address difficulties rooted in the past.
Counselling can help you cope with:
- Mental health conditions: obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, psychosis, personality disorders, eating disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, substance and addictive disorders, neuro-cognitive disorder.
- Difficult life events: relationship breakdown, separation, divorce, chronic pain, injury, infertility, serious illness or other health issues in yourself or among family or friends, work-related stress, loss of employment, financial challenges, moving or elevating
- Difficult emotions: sadness, pain, grief, loneliness, confusion, jealousy, anger, fear or rejection.
- Other issues – stress, low self esteem, self harm, sexuality, seasonal affective disorder, phobias, burnout, social anxiety, professional development, boundary issues, studies, exams and many more.