Chacko (James) Vadayil Varkey , PACFA

Chacko (James) Vadayil Varkey is a PACFA-credentialed clinical psychotherapist based in Australia with more than 12 years of professional experience. PACFA stands for the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, and his training spans multiple disciplines including theology, criminology, psychology, and family law, which informs a broad and practical approach to therapeutic work.

He is also an accredited family dispute resolution practitioner (FDRP) with the Attorney-General's Office in Australia, offering family mediation alongside individual, couples, and family therapy. He provides support to post-separated families and works with children and young people, tailoring interventions to each family's needs and circumstances.

Chacko works therapeutically in ways that can integrate spiritual perspectives when appropriate, and he has experience supporting people from culturally, religiously, spiritually, and linguistically diverse backgrounds. He offers therapy in English, Hindi, and Malayalam to accommodate different language needs.

Over his career he has worked extensively with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and attachment issues, complex trauma and PTSD, identity challenges, and personality-related difficulties. He is particularly committed to working with couples, families, children, and young people, and aims to create an open, nonjudgmental environment where thoughts, emotions, and experiences can be explored. He recognises that beginning therapy takes courage and seeks to support clients at every step of that process.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and learn skills to act in ways that matter to them, even when difficult thoughts or feelings arise - it can be useful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related difficulties. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early and current relationships shape emotional patterns and helps clients repair and strengthen relational bonds, which is often helpful for relationship and family concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical strategies to identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, supporting work with anxiety, depression, and many everyday stressors.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Chacko works collaboratively with clients to select and adapt methods based on each person's needs, goals, and preferences. He partners with clients to tailor interventions rather than imposing a single model.

Online therapy options such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and to access therapists from different locations. These formats provide flexibility for scheduling, allow ongoing support between sessions, and enable people to engage in therapy from a setting that feels comfortable to them while working with licensed professionals.