Shirley Paul

Reaching out for support can feel daunting, especially if you’ve learned to cope alone. You don’t have to do that here.

I work with children, teenagers, and adults who feel overwhelmed, anxious, low, stuck, or impacted by trauma. This may include sexual abuse, medical trauma, developmental trauma, complex PTSD, self-harm, anxiety, or depression, as well as vicarious traum, the impact of what you have witnessed or experienced through others. I also support those experiencing grief, loss of self-esteem, dissociation, or challenges in relationships. I work with clients from diverse backgrounds and recognise how identity, culture, family history, and life experiences shape how we feel, cope, and relate. I have specialist training in these areas and experience supporting survivors at many stages of their healing journey, including through my work with a specialist charity.

I understand that trauma is not just something we think about, it is something the body and nervous system hold. While talking is important, words are not always enough. My approach is trauma-informed, relational, and holistic. I have specialist training in Somatic Experiencing®, NeuroAffective Touch®, tapping (EFT), EEM, and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Together, these approaches support safety, regulation, emotional processing, and reconnection with parts of yourself that may feel hidden or shut down.

I work collaboratively, at a pace that feels manageable, and grounded in choice. Your cultural background, identity, family story, and lived experience matter in our work, and I aim to offer a space where all parts of you are welcome and respected.

In our sessions, we can:

• Make sense of patterns that feel confusing or overwhelming

• Build internal and external resources

• Strengthen boundaries and self-trust

• Reconnect with parts that feel hidden or shut down

• Learn practical tools to support you

Beginning therapy is a positive move toward feeling heard, understood, and supported.

As a qualified, BACP-registered counsellor, I work in line with the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice. At the heart of my practice is creating a space that feels safe, respectful and compassionate, where you can begin exactly where you are.

I work with children, teenagers and adults who may be experiencing anxiety, low mood, depression, grief, loss of self-esteem, dissociation, self-harm, sexual abuse or trauma. I have experience working with clients from a wide range of backgrounds and I am mindful of how identity, culture, family history and lived experience can shape the way we cope and relate to others.

My work is trauma-informed and guided by specialist training in Somatic Experiencing®, NeuroAffective Touch, Internal Family Systems (IFS), tapping (EFT) and energy medicine. This allows us to work not only through talking, but also by gently supporting the nervous system and body. We will move at a pace that feels right for you, with choice and consent at the centre of our work. You will never be pushed to explore anything before you feel ready.

Our sessions are shaped around your needs, hopes and goals. I adapt my way of working to you, rather than expecting you to fit into one particular approach. We will regularly check in and review how the work feels, making sure it continues to support you as things change.

I usually offer weekly sessions, either time-limited or open-ended. I also provide one-off or short-term sessions for those seeking practical tools to help with specific overwhelm, dysregulation or trauma responses.

If you’re feeling unsure but curious, that’s enough to begin. 

Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other and explore what has brought you to counselling. It’s a safe, confidential space where there is no expectation for you to have all the answers, you simply start where you are.

We will begin by discussing your needs, hopes, and what you would like to achieve through counselling. I may ask you to share some background information and complete a short assessment to help me understand your current experience, but this is simply to guide the work and ensure it is tailored to you. Everything we do is led by your pace, preferences, and comfort.

I offer a flexible, trauma-informed approach, drawing on my specialist training in Somatic Experiencing®, NeuroAffective Touch, Internal Family Systems (IFS), tapping (EFT) and EEM. This means we can work not only through talking, but also with the body and nervous system, helping you feel safer, more regulated, and more connected to yourself.

In this first session, we can explore what is most pressing for you, identify areas to focus on, and discuss what a supportive way forward might look like. You are invited to ask questions about the process, and we will agree together on how best to work in a way that suits your life and needs.

If you feel uncertain about starting, that is completely normal, taking this first step is a positive move toward feeling heard, supported, and understood.