Shirley Paul

My approach to counselling is integrative, creative and encouraging; designed to support you such that you:

• Feel safe to explore issues in your life at your pace

• Feel heard and witnessed

• Separate your memories, feelings, emotions and thoughts, so you can bring awareness and reconnect to parts that may feel disconnected or in hiding

• Develop resources in your life

• Build confidence in your ability to connect to yourself and others, while still maintaining clear boundaries that allow for growth

• Develop practical skills and tools that you use in times of need

As we work through the counselling sessions together, you will experience a confidential, empathetic, safe, non-judgemental space, where you will have the opportunity to explore and understand experiences and emotions that have affected your life. My aim is that you feel heard and listened to, while working together with curiosity and compassion to explore the challenges and behaviours confronting you.

As a qualified, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Integrative Accredited BACP-registered counsellor, I abide by their Ethical Framework for Good Practice. I have worked with a variety of issues in including anxiety, low mood, depression, loss of self-esteem, grief, disassociation, sexual abuse and trauma; supporting children, teenagers and adult clients from diverse backgrounds. I use my specialist training in Somatic Experiencing  in particular to help people suffering from traumatic experiences such as PTSD, abuse, self-harm, and grief.

As an Integrative counsellor, I draw on a number of different theoretical models and styles. However, the foundation of my practise is Person centred, meaning the focus of our sessions will be you and your aspirations and tailored to your needs and unique circumstances. I adapt to you rather than expecting you to fit into any one way of working. Together we will periodically review our work to ensure that it meets your developing needs.

I work with clients weekly, on both a time-limited or open-ended basis. 

The counselling relationship is key to the therapeutic process and so it is important that you feel working together would be a good fit. Hence, I offer an initial free, without obligation introductory 20 min call, to allow us both to find out a little more about each other. I will then send you a contract which sets out how I work. Enabling you to make a fully informed decision before proceeding.

In our first session, I will invite you to explore what you would like to achieve through counselling so we have a common understanding of what is important to you. We will also start to build resources to help you in the work that we will work on together.