Olivia Shaw
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Are you struggling with feeling "different", or have experienced abuse, neglect or other traumas and experiences which are difficult to talk about? I offer specialist therapy for individuals and couples who feel overwhelmed or misunderstood, to bring relief from painful, confusing or repetitive feelings.
Typically, my clients are neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, or have experienced parental abuse and other forms of childhood trauma.
Experiences in your life may have lead to you feeling confused, anxious, angry, ashamed or frustrated, or just completely fed up. You might wonder if you're good enough, or "normal", or may notice a deep-down feeling of inadequacy. You might find yourself wondering if you will ever move past things, or if life can ever be different to how it is now.
I’m deeply passionate about working with clients to experience the long term benefits of feeling understood and accepted, where these things are given the space they need to heal. I am particularly passionate about supporting those who feel like an 'Other' in their families or social groups, and understand the profound effects of not being fully accepted.
I take an anti-discriminatory, identity affirmative stance, and I am open to difference in all its forms. I offer particular experience and understanding of the complexities of challenging adult child-parent relationships, gender diversity, estrangement, and late-diagnosed neurodivergence.
Whoever you are, whatever you do, however you feel, you can expect complete acceptance and will be met with patience, empathy and understanding.
Training, qualifications & experience
How can I help?
Firstly, I offer an environment where you are welcomed to be unapologetically yourself, where your feelings are valid and understood with respect for the life experiences that have shaped you.
Although I work in the here-and-now with you, I am also trained to help you consider how your earlier years may be influencing how you feel, think, act and respond today.
We can work to:
- Learn new strategies to manage difficult feelings
- Untie relationship knots
- Strengthen boundaries.
- Gain perspectives on behaviours, emotions and relationships
- Express and identify patterns of thinking and feeling
- Find peace with who you are
As well as my therapy training and experience, which includes supporting people to overcome issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, life changes, and the emotional trauma caused by abuse, I have over a decade of experience working in mental health, safeguarding, and supporting young people and adults with ASD, ADHD, complex relational challenges, family issues such as breakdowns, abuse, imprisonment, co-dependency and more.
How do I work?
You are the expert on you, and I am here to hear and understand you, but I will also offer insights and curiosity about what might be going on for you in a compassionate way. I see our work as a partnership where together we ‘connect the dots’ about how you're feeling and experiencing, and how to move forward in a way that genuinely feels right.
I'm not the kind of therapist who just nods and says “mmm.” I show up to sessions engaged, thoughtful and open, I will be curious about your experiences and ready to explore things with you. I’ll reflect back to you what I’m noticing, offer challenge where it feels like it could be useful and try to help you make links that might not yet be obvious. There will be times when I ask you how things feel, I’m afraid!
"I don’t know if therapy is right for me"
Perhaps you are worried you will find it hard to know where to start, or to find the ‘right’ words to express what you are feeling, or you may be worried it will all come flooding out and will feel like a jumble. All of this, and everything in between, is okay.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I work with a range of difficulties in addition to the areas listed here, and the ones set out in my profile. I have experience working with individuals experiencing a very wide range of mental health difficulties and life experiences, including:
- Feeling different or misunderstood
- Late-diagnosed or suspected neurodivergence
- Exploring/questioning gender or sexuality
- Estrangement
- Family breakdown and conflict
- Emotional neglect
- Covert abuse
- Relationship struggles
- Overwhelm and burnout
- Making sense of early experiences
- Navigating transitions
- Major life changes
- Coming out, staying in or not knowing yet
- Masking, performing, people pleasing
- Parenting
- Living outside the “norm”
Therapies offered
Fees
From £75.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Sessions for individuals:
Online, Face to Face, Walk and Talk options
- 50 minutes
- 70 minutes
Sessions for couples:
Online or Face to Face options
- 60 minutes
- 90 minutes
When I work
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Further information
I’m still not sure...
I understand the daunting nature of taking the leap into therapy, especially if you've felt different or misunderstood throughout your life. I have navigated this personally, and appreciate the courage it takes to seek help. Whether you're ready to take the next step or are still contemplating, your pace and process are respected. If and when you feel ready, email me or call to arrange an initial consultation session.
