Hi, I'm Sally.
Building a genuine connection is at the heart of my work, whether I’m working with children, teenagers or adults.
Parents often tell me that their child won’t talk to them, doesn’t want help, or has become increasingly isolated.Many young people who are reluctant to engage with support find that talking with me feels different.
Alongside my ongoing work with adults, I am a specialist in working with children, teenagers and young people. With a MSc in Counselling Children and Young People, and with over 20 years’ experience working with them, including within education settings, I connect with and 'get' how difficult life can feel, for both them, and their families.
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As a therapist and a mum, I understand how emotional difficulties can affect the whole family, and how hard it can be to know how to help.
Many of the young people I work with are thoughtful and sensitive, but can find themselves overwhelmed, anxious, or carrying more than feels manageable. Many are angry and feel misunderstood. Many withdraw and isolate themselves from the family around them.
I work with adults experiencing similar feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, overwhelm, chronic illness, and the lasting impact of earlier life experiences. Many adults come to therapy feeling stuck, exhausted from carrying everything alone, or repeating patterns they don’t fully understand. Some feel lonely or sad, struggling with things at work or at home, or the challenges that life can bring us. Many have difficulty making sense of what they're experiencing or how they're feeling.
I help make sense of what you’re experiencing.
I work integratively, meaning I personalise sessions to you as an individual. As well as being able to utilise different approaches within talking therapy, I offer creative approaches which include, Lego based and Domino Therapy, sand tray work, drawing, beads and bracelet making and many more. We work together to find what feels right for you.
You don’t have to carry it all on your own.
Sally Shanahan MBACP
MSc in Counselling Children and Young People
BA (Hons) in Education