About me
I'm Shaz, a BACP Accredited Somatic Trauma Therapist and coach.
This isn't just talking therapy. I work with the whole person, mind, body and nervous system, because real change lives in the body as much as in the words we find for it.
Alongside my core training, I completed a year-long specialist training in somatic trauma therapy, equipping me to work with trauma held in the body in a carefully paced, safe way. My approach combines somatic trauma therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), breathwork and coaching, supporting people who've often felt too much, not enough, or as though traditional therapy hasn't quite fitted them.
I work with complex trauma, neurodivergence and identity change, with a particular understanding of neurodivergent adults navigating ADHD, autism, or a later diagnosis.
If you've spent years masking, burning out, or feeling disconnected from yourself, all of that makes sense, and none of it is treated as something wrong with you.
I work online UK-wide and in person in Loughton, Essex. BACP registered, IFS UK Level 1 trained (Level 2 in progress), ILM Level 5 Coaching qualified, Breathwork Coach.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have worked for Mind - West Essex and as a Trauma Therapist for a charity and CIC.
- BACP accreditation
- IFS UK Level 1 - Internal Family Systems UK
- ILM Level 5 Certificate in Effective Coaching & Mentoring - Institute of Leadership and Management - Qualified Coach
- CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Somatic-Informed Trauma Therapy
- Level 3 Certificate in Breathwork Coaching (CPCAB)
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 3
- Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Studies Level 2
- BACP-accredited Certificate of Proficiency
- Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling skills
- BSc in Evolutionary Psychology
Additional specialist CPD in:
- Trauma and the nervous system
- Carolyn Spring - Child Sexual Abuse: Hope for Healing Online Training
- Polyvagal-informed practice
- DBT Skills for neurodiversity
- Working with dissociation and protector parts
- Neurodiversity and autism-informed approaches
- Grounding, breathwork and somatic regulation skills
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
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
Trauma & PTSD — covers complex PTSD, dissociation, abuse, sexual trauma, emotional/physical abuse, narcissistic abuse
Neurodivergence — ADHD, autism, AuDHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, learning difficulties
Anxiety & OCD — generalised anxiety, panic, health anxiety, social anxiety, OCD, intrusive thoughts
Depression & Burnout — low mood, chronic stress, exhaustion, postnatal depression
Eating & Body Image — eating disorders, BDD, ARFID, body connection
Identity & Self-esteem — low confidence, perfectionism, masking, people-pleasing
Relationships & Attachment — attachment difficulties, family issues, relationship problems, separation
Loss & Grief — bereavement, baby loss, miscarriage, diagnosis grief
Neurodivergent Women & Hormonal Health — PMDD, menopause, burnout in women
Therapies offered
Fees
£80.00 per session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
I offer therapy on a weekly or fortnightly basis, depending on what feels supportive for you. Longer-term work is often most helpful for trauma, though there is no minimum commitment. You are welcome to take your time.
Further information
I offer online and in person.
Please get in touch or book a call. If you have emailed:
Hello@healingrivertherapy.com or visit my website - check your junk mail for a response.
I believe therapy should feel like a breath out. A place where anxiety, low mood, or the impact of trauma can be met with care, not pressure. A space where you can gently soften the armour you’ve had to wear and feel met exactly where you are.
Sessions are paced slowly and thoughtfully. Regulation and safety come first, because healing from anxiety, depression, and trauma begins when the nervous system feels supported and allowed to settle.
I work with:
- Complex and developmental trauma
- Anxiety, overwhelm and burnout
- Identity and belonging
- Parenting stress, especially with neurodivergent children
- Emotional dysregulation and shutdown responses
- People-pleasing, fawning and boundary difficulties
- Body-based trauma symptoms, dissociation, depersonalisation
- Life transitions including peri-menopause
My therapeutic style:
- Calm, attuned, and grounded
- Curiosity instead of judgement
- Follow your pace, not a rigid agenda
- Blend of talking and body awareness
- Focus on inner safety, strength and resilience
- Consistent, reliable, securely-held space
Accessibility:
- I am neuro-affirming in practice
- Breaks, movement, pacing, sensory adjustments welcome
- Online therapy available for flexibility and comfort
Every part of you is welcome here, including the parts that feel messy, confused or scared. You don’t need to have the right words before you show up. Together we discover them.
Reach out when you’re ready. Healing isn’t a straight line, though it does get lighter when you’re not walking it alone.
