Siana McGarvey

If you are interested in individual in person supervision please see the other listing under my name.

At its heart, my own therapy practice is based on a person-centred foundation. I trained in 2000-01 at Durham University and then worked for 15 years in various agencies before setting up in private practice. I am a Registered Jungian Sandplay Therapist (AST) and I have trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFSI).

The majority of people I see are neurodivergent and I work in a non oppressive neuro-affirming way.  I invest in regular consultation and CPD for both my therapy and supervision practice.

I offer online supervision groups specifically for ND therapists or for therapists working with neurodivergent people.

I am neurodivergent myself and I am privileged to have developed robust neurodiversity-affirming professional networks.  Unfortunately, however, the wider therapy world remains largely dominated by the medicalised view of autism / ADHD as pathology.    Needless to say, this has a profoundly negative impact on autistic therapists and clients alike.  

There are 2-4 people in each group and I ask that you commit for a minimum of 6 months. Groups meet for 1.5-2 hours monthly or bimonthly and the fee is £50 per session. The length of the session depends on the number of participants.

If you are interested in joining a supervision group I will meet with you individually first.  This gives us the opportunity to discuss what you are looking for and any accommodations you might need.  This preliminary meeting allows you to ask any questions you might have and it helps me to be able to match you to a group with other therapists with similar interests and foci.  

I usually offer supervision on a Wednesday each week.

Are you looking for a supervision experience which is a little bit different? Maybe you have a niche you are developing, a particular client group you want to learn more about, maybe you are training in one of the approaches I use ... or maybe you are simply curious and want to see what would emerge if you allowed yourself to step outside the norm?

I work in a very relational way, utilising our supervision relationship to facilitate and shed light on the therapeutic processes you are engaged in. I bring lenses of Internal Family Systems and relational neuroscience to our work and I incorporate creative approaches.

At its heart, my own therapy practice is based on a person-centred foundation. I trained in 2000-01 at Durham University and then worked for 15 years in various agencies before setting up in private practice. I am a Registered Jungian Sandplay Therapist (AST) and I have trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFSI).

Monthly Supervision

I offer supervision on a one to one basis with students, therapists working in agencies and those in private practice.

My supervision training was with Gestalt Centre Belfast in 2014-16.  This was an intensive and experiential small group supervision programme.

I invest in consultation for my supervision practice and I regularly participate in related CPD. I completed my second year of training with Bonnie Badenoch in 2024, focusing on consultation through the lens of relational neuroscience. 

This distinctive approach to supervision acknowledges that many of the stuck places we find ourselves in with our people relate at least in part to our own unnavigated histories and hurts. Therefore, we invite curiosity about the parts of the therapist which are touched and stirred by the person they are seeking consultation for, recognising that they are inextricably linked within the relational dyad and clinical work. ​

​I particularly enjoy working creatively with supervisees and I incorporate an IFS lens into my supervision practice. I am happy also for you to bring clinical creative work to supervision sessions, obviously with prior consent from clients. ​​​

​​Ad hoc Consultation

I offer ad hoc sessions for therapists and practitioners seeking additional consultation from time to time. For example, this might be in relation to some more specialised work you are doing with a small number of clients.  Most commonly, due to my own specialisms, this would relate to work with autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people, "parts" work or sandplay / sandtray work.

Group Supervision

I am keen to explore setting up a local in person supervision group if there is interest.  

We would use a process orientated approach to access "therapist parts" and deeper levels of awareness in order to untangle / unblend from stuckness in our clinical work.  This would be experiential and creative and would draw together many elements of both my supervision and therapy training.

I offer a free introduction meeting for us to discuss whether the way I work is a good "fit" for your supervision / consultation needs.

Day time psychotherapy sessions for adults and young people 9am-4pm

Evening circles for adults

Let’s start with what you might be looking for.  You might want to:

Feel genuinely happy in your own skin/body/ways of being

Be able to actually relax

Have a sense of direction and purpose

To reconnect, or connect for the first time, with the you behind all the roles you play

And how are you now?

Perhaps you have circumstances you want to change

Or relationships that feel entangled or painful

Maybe it’s as though the “same old” dynamics and situations keep happening

Maybe you’re sick of running, striving, trying all the things

You may have already done some personal work but it’s time to go deeper

You mightn’t have the words

You might be aware of difficult emotions or you may not feel much of anything

You know you need to be seen and heard as you truly are (terrifying though that might feel)

You are serious about wanting deep and lasting change and have the time, space and willingness to commit

Who am I?

My name is Siana (pronounced Shauna. I'm 

- a white cisgender woman

- neurodivergent

- a survivor of complex trauma

- a survivor of religious trauma

- mum to a teenager

I am a fellow human being first and foremost and I tend to be seen to have a "down to earth" approach as a psychotherapist. 

I also have 25 years experience as a therapist, having spent 15 years working in 4 of the largest counselling agencies in Northern Ireland before setting up in private practice.  I've had the wonderful privilege of counselling people of all ages and representing a wide range of gender, sexual, cultural and spiritual identities.

My practice is LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity affirming.

I will connect with you in an authentic and attuned way, on the basis of mutual respect and humility.

I have undertaken specialist training related to trauma and relational neuroscience, as well as Jungian Sandplay and Internal Family Systems.

I work creatively and blend together elements of a range of therapeutic approaches to meet the needs and wishes of each person.

I've recently also begun to offer facilitated support circles for parents, carers, counsellors and neurodivergent people who want a gentle, structured space to reflect, share, and connect. These groups are non-clinical, inclusive, and open to all genders.

Please have a look at my website if you'd like to find out more.

If we seem to resonate, just reach out and we’ll plan for an introductory chat. No strings and no fee. We’ll only go ahead if there's a genuine fit and expectations align.

Psychotherapy sessions: 9am-4pm

Therapeutic Circles: 7pm-8:30pm 

I offer a unique blend of one‑to‑one psychotherapy and group-based support circles.

I aim to provide accessible, inclusive mental‑health support for neurodivergent adults, parents, carers, and anyone navigating life’s complexities.

My approach combines trauma‑informed care, neurodiversity awareness and gentle facilitation, because I believe healing and deep connection don’t have to look the same for everyone.

One‑to‑One Psychotherapy

I offer individual therapy sessions for adults who are navigating challenges such as

Anxiety, depression, overwhelm or emotional burnout

Neurodivergent identity, self‑understanding or late diagnosis adjustment

Relationship and family difficulties 

Life transitions, identity changes, grief or existential questioning

Burnout, parenting stress, caregiving load, and work‑life imbalance

I have 25 years' experiences as a psychotherapist, having spent 15 years working in 4 of the largest counselling agencies in Northern Ireland, before setting up in private practice.  I've had the incredible privilege of counselling people of all ages and representing a wide range of gender, sexual, cultural and spiritual identities.

I work from a place of humanity, humility and collaboration.  I blend a range of therapeutic approaches depending on your needs and wishes.

Circles

In a nutshell, a Circle is a group where we come together to share and to offer each other our presence, time and attentive listening.

Imagine no shoulds, no well meaning advice, no “fixing”, no strategies, no techniques!

Instead, a space where each person is seen and heard compassionately and without agenda.

Numbers are kept intentionally small (max 8, usually less).

Fee is £18 per Circle (90 mins)

Many of the people who I work with are late identified neurodivergent and / or interested in IFS or other "parts work".

IFS

IFS is currently the fastest growing therapeutic community worldwide. Its deeply affirmative and non pathologising stance, combined with uncomplicated and user friendly language makes it easy to access and experience change.

I have completed official training programmes via the Internal Family Systems Institute, the only organisation which can validate IFS courses. 

Neurodivergence

I'm neurodivergent myself (autistic, ADHD, highly sensitive). I love co-creating and re-imagining the therapy space with fellow neurodivergent people.

Many come to me at various stages on their journeys of self discovery and may be unlearning deficit based identifications and self concepts.

As traditional therapy settings and "norms" have often been unhelpful for us, my desire is to offer a space which is neurodivergence affirming and celebratory at its core.

SPINS and stims are welcome and encouraged; eye contact is rather rare and we do actually often smile and enjoy the connection we share!   

Next steps

If you'd like to plan an introductory chat please reach out. No strings. We’ll only go ahead if there's a genuine fit and expectations align.