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Counselling and coaching for frazzled working parents and carers trying to keep well and do good.
Helping women and men trying to fulfil their calling whilst caring for themselves and those they love
Work with me
Heal childhood wounds and actively look after your mental health now to create the life you envision.
Increase your self-awareness and self-compassion to make the best choices for your future self and relationships
About me
Hi I’m Shirley, an integrative counsellor and therapeutic coach. I have also written and published four books.
Since 2007 I’ve been supporting my clients to peel back the layers of their life to get to the core of their issues and begin to work through it. When we heal and restore ourselves we have more capacity to support others.
We use your present life experiences to help heal your past pain and begin to create the life you envision for yourself and those you care for, despite the many challenges
With the addition of therapeutic coaching and writing I can support you to connect to that future life that you desire, taking the necessary steps to go deeper and further.
I have a passion for living an integrated and authentic life. I feel that we can live happier lives if we pay more attention to our own choices and spend less energy on comparison with others. As we become more integrated and whole our lives feel more real and meaningful.
My Approach
I offer you my full attention and hold up a mirror to help you make sense of your life story so far. Over a few sessions you begin to experience yourself differently; old wounds heal and new possibilities arise.
When you are leading and caring for others it is even more important to look after your physical and mental health. Through my counselling and coaching I support you stepping into new ways of being, releasing the old story and writing a new one for your life. You expand your capacity for reflection and resilience whilst reducing your chances of breakdown and burnout. It’s all wrapped up in gentleness, compassion, challenge, honesty and care.
My Qualifications
My life and work has been in the therapeutic world since I studied psychology in the late 1990’s.
BSc Psychology and Sociology ( BPS approved)
M.A. Careers Guidance (Reading University)
Integrative psychosynthesis counselling diploma (Re.Vision)
Certificate in Mindfulness (Bangor University)
Certificate in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (Metanoia Institute)
Coaching certificate (ICF approved), One of Many
Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong learning Sector (PTTLS)
Running mindfulness groups
Therapeutic parenting
NVR parenting training
Various trauma workshops
Various writing workshops
Memberships
BACP
BAATN
LAPIDUS
ONE OF MANY ltd
Work with me
I support you to connect to your inner world and make the shifts necessary so you can live an aligned authentic life and create the future you envision.
My latest book
My latest book gives insight into what it is like parenting neurodivergent and special children. It shares the lived experiences of thirty-four families as they navigate work, family, education and life. As an adopter parent myself it was a privilege to collate these stories to share with a wider readership. Order your copy on Amazon here
Testimonials
I wanted to address some childhood experiences to do with physical, emotional abuse and neglect.
As a counsellor, you created a safe space where I could express my emotions and deal with the hurts in my life. You listened attentively, and I never felt judged.
It has made it much easier for me to get in touch with some of the inner child issues that was holding me back. I benefitted from being able to sometimes use the session to write about my feelings and emotions. That’s something I will continue to do.
I had started fostering, the panel recommended I have someone in place for extra support if needed. I also wanted to embrace this new season well, ensuring I wasn’t holding on to the past in an unhealthy way.
It was calming and practical (tools offered), prioritising self-care, an empathetic space, helping one to have compassion towards oneself.
I think in many ways it’s a validating experience. Where there is space for things to be felt and seen, that may not have been given permission before, and that results in feeling more peaceful/lighter.