Shana Laffy

I have limited availability, and I am currently prioritising couples seeking sex therapy as I complete my Masters in Contemporary Psychosexual Therapy. 

Are you frustrated and anxious in your relationship and find that patterns keep repeating themselves? Perhaps your intimate connection with your partner isn't as fulfilling as it once was or you are experiencing sexual difficulties.

Are you single and wanting to find new ways to do things but you aren’t sure what is holding you back? Maybe you are feeling sad, cut off from your life and struggle to feel fully present in day-to-day experiences?

Therapy can be a safe space to talk things over and consider how to bring about change. Issues around relationships both romantic ones and with family/friends or work are often a big contributor to feeling low, depressed or insecure.

I am in a relationship...why would therapy help us?

Some common reasons for coming to couples counselling or relationship therapy are feeling unheard, issues impacting their sexual lives, wanting to share worries and fears but not knowing where to start or feeling stuck in reoccurring conflicts with a partner. 

You may feel there is a breakdown in communication and want to find a way to reconnect and bring joy, intimacy, and empathy back into the relationship. If you are experiencing challenges as a result of the pandemic, you are not alone.

Even under usual circumstances many couples struggle to find ways to clearly communicate their needs and what once was a free exchange of loving behaviours can sometimes develop into people feeling hurt, upset, isolated and with no easy way to resolve things. Sex and intimacy can suffer when conflict is high and maybe you are left feeling hopeless or feel you have the ‘wrong partner'. 

Often talking things over with friends and family is helpful but at times, not as impartial as you might need.  Relationship and couple therapy can be a space for each of you to reflect on the relationship dynamics and share truthfully and sensitively to gain a deeper understanding of each other.

I work with a wide range of relationships and take full account of Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) I also offer therapy to siblings, parents and grown up children, business partnerships, or teams of people working to resolve something.

I am not in a relationship – can I come and see you?

In short, yes! I work with individual clients on a range of issues. Relationships and sexual identity are part of everyday life whether you are romantically involved or not. The connection you have with family and friends, work colleagues and most importantly with yourself are key to building self-esteem and confidence. The earliest relationships like those with parents, stay with us long into adulthood and are sometimes hard to explore. Maybe you have a history of childhood trauma, abuse or are feeling depressed and fearful of rejection. Perhaps you have had a number of difficult relationships in the past  and want to develop a new way of approaching things.

Coming to therapy might be about giving you a confidential and non-judgemental place  to share your experiences. You might want to explore ideas and think about how to make changes in your life. Lots of people seeking therapy aren’t sure what they really need but feel at a turning point. The focus is on building a strong trusting therapeutic relationship, from which I aim to support each person to consider what feels most important to them.

How do I make contact and access therapy?

Lots of people feel anxious about reaching out and making contact with a new therapist, this is completely normal. I offer a FREE phone conversation before any initial appointment so we can talk about your hopes and expectations of therapy and I can share more about the way I work. 

At no time are you tied into an ongoing agreement and you are welcome to attend a first session and see if therapy with me is the right fit for you. Please contact me using the details provided to enquire about my availability.

I offer both in-person therapy as well as online zoom sessions and clients are welcome to mix the two to suit them. 

I specialise offering sex and relationship therapy. I have focus on working within the areas of attachment, trauma and abuse with a neuroscience-informed approach. I also offer parenting coaching to support parent-child relationships through Emotion Coaching techniques.

I work in an integrative way which incorporates a range of therapeutic theories and approaches. I offer creative arts therapy for couples, adults and young people as well as more traditional talking therapy.

I offer both short and long term therapy which can be open ended if preferred. I usually see individual clients weekly for 50 minutes and couples every two weeks for 80 minutes. However I am flexible in my approach and can adapt this to suit clients needs.

Individual Therapy - £80 (50 minute session)

Couple & Relationship Therapy -  110 (1 hour) or £160 (90 minute session)

I offer some concessionary sessions for those on a limited income. Please contact me to enquire about fees and availability.

I am fully insured and hold a Enhanced DBS on the update service.