- Person-centred focus
- Trauma-informed approach
- Practical coping strategies
About Shirley
Shirley Banton is a counsellor with 11 years' experience and a BACP credential. She offers calm, steady support for people who feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or stuck. Shirley aims to create a respectful space where clients can slow down and make sense of difficult feelings.
Her practice blends a person-centred base with trauma-aware ways of working. That means conversations are led at the client’s pace and shaped around what matters most to them. She encourages gentle self-reflection and helps people notice patterns that affect their mood, relationships, and sense of self.
Shirley has considerable experience with relational and abuse-related problems, including domestic violence and long-term coercive control. She also understands pressures linked to education and work, such as anxiety, burnout and identity shifts in students and educators.
People come to her for help with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, addictive behaviours, intimacy and relationship difficulties, parenting concerns, eating and sleeping problems, ADHD and compassion fatigue. She accepts international clients and works in English.
Sessions focus on building self-awareness, healthier boundaries and practical ways to cope with change. Shirley aims for consistent, steady progress rather than quick fixes, and she frames therapy as a collaborative process where the client’s goals guide the work.
How Shirley’s approaches work in online therapy
Shirley combines person-centred work with cognitive behavioural ideas to help people make practical changes and understand their inner experience. Person-centred therapy focuses on listening and responding to what the client brings, helping people feel heard and build self-understanding. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions and offers concrete strategies to change unhelpful patterns.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Shirley treats this as a collaborative process and will discuss which methods suit your goals and preferences. Together you can try different ways of working and adjust the plan as you learn what helps most.
Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by reducing travel time and allowing appointments around work or study. It can also allow shorter check-ins when needed and be helpful when people prefer not to be on camera. The biography confirms she offers online therapy, so check the booking details to confirm which session formats are currently supported before arranging your first appointment.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
11+ years
Credentials
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Shirley commonly help with?
Shirley works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addiction, relationship and intimacy issues, eating and sleeping difficulties, ADHD, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is person-centred and trauma-aware, with an emphasis on listening, reflection and collaborative pace. She combines practical coping ideas with deeper exploration of patterns and meaning.
How much experience does she have?
Shirley has 11 years of professional experience supporting people through complex and relational difficulties, including long-term relational trauma and coercive control.
Where is Shirley based and what credential does she hold?
She practises in the United Kingdom and holds a BACP credential as documented in her profile.
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients; please check time differences when arranging appointments.
What session formats are available?
The original biography notes that she offers online therapy. Please confirm current session options and formats before booking to ensure they meet your needs.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Shirley?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability.