- Client-centred approach
- CBT and mindfulness
- Trauma-informed care
About Shirley
Shirley Banton is a counsellor registered with the BACP and has 11 years' experience. She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, and related concerns including grief, parenting pressures, addiction and problems with sleep or eating. Shirley also supports people dealing with identity and intimacy issues, low self-esteem, ADHD and bipolar mood challenges.
Her approach is rooted in client-centred work that lets clients set the pace. Sessions aim to be collaborative and reflective, with attention to emotional safety and longer-term meaning. She uses this base alongside techniques from several therapies to suit what a person needs in practice.
Shirley often focuses on relational patterns and the effects of past hurt. She has substantial experience supporting survivors of domestic violence and prolonged relational abuse, including coercive control. She also draws on many years in further and higher education to understand pressures faced by students, educators and young adults.
In sessions she helps people identify repeating patterns, rebuild confidence and practise firmer boundaries. The work is not about quick fixes; it tends to be steady and exploratory rather than directive coaching. Clients who are curious about themselves and willing to reflect tend to find this method useful.
Shirley offers her practice from the United Kingdom and conducts work in English. She accepts international clients. To begin, people use the site matching process to book an initial session and discuss practical next steps.
How Shirley’s approaches inform online work
Shirley uses a client-centred base alongside Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening, reflecting and following what the person brings, which helps people who need time and space to open up. CBT offers concrete ways to spot unhelpful thinking and test different behaviours, useful for social anxiety and low mood. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus during stressful moments.Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work. Shirley will discuss goals, preferences and what feels doable, and then suggest options together. That means the shape of sessions can change as needs change, with practical steps added when clients want them and more reflective work when that feels right.
The biography states she offers online therapy, but does not list all session formats; please confirm the current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow people to work from a familiar setting. Some formats also let a session be shorter or rely on audio only, which can help when concentration or bandwidth are limited.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
11+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Shirley address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, sleep and eating concerns, low self-esteem and related topics.
How would she approach sessions?
Her work is client-centred and collaborative, letting the person set the pace while using reflective discussion and practical techniques when helpful.
How much experience does she have?
Shirley has 11 years of practice experience and additional background from over 20 years in further and higher education.
What professional credential does she hold?
She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, shown as BACP in her profile.
Does she work in other languages or countries?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The biography notes that she offers online therapy; please confirm current session formats through the booking process before scheduling.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.