Shahna Thurston, BACP
Person-centred counsellor with practical skills focus
Explore online therapy options- Years in practice
- 5
- Registration
- BACP
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- Relationship issues
About Shahna
Shahna Thurston is a counsellor who uses a person-centred approach alongside practical skills work. She blends client-centred listening with mindful skills and values-focused conversation to help people manage difficult feelings. Shahna's approach aims to make therapy feel straightforward and focused on real change.
She has five years of professional experience and holds BACP accreditation, which she uses as a foundation for her practice. Sessions often combine reflective talking with exercises to build emotional regulation and clearer communication.
Background and approach
This mix is intended to help people make small steps that add up to lasting difference. Many clients come with worries about anxiety, stress, depression or coping with life changes. Shahna also supports people facing relationship strain, issues around self-esteem, grief and trauma-related concerns.
Parenting is highlighted among her areas of focus, so she offers practical ways to handle the pressures of caring for children while managing personal wellbeing. Her work includes attention to addictive behaviours, sleep and eating struggles, anger and challenges connected to ADHD or bipolar mood shifts. She also addresses more specific topics such as attachment-related problems, body image and communication breakdowns.
Conversations are guided by the client's pace and priorities rather than a fixed script. Shahna aims to create a calm, non-judgemental space where people can explore what matters to them. She uses clear, everyday language and offers tools people can try between sessions.
The intention is to help clients feel more capable of handling stressful situations and uncertain times.
What Shahna works with
Everything Shahna lists, in their own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Shahna helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Shahna lists
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Client-centred work places the client's concerns at the heart of the conversation, with the counsellor listening closely and reflecting back what matters most. This approach helps people feel heard and make clearer choices about changes they want to try. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, or DBT, brings practical skills for managing intense emotions and improving communication. It is useful for stress, anger, self-regulation and relationship difficulties. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing techniques that reduce reactivity and support steadying mood and sleep patterns.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to identify which methods match a person's needs, goals and preferences. Sessions start by discussing what the client wants to achieve and then adapt the techniques as progress is made.
Online formats offer flexible ways to access this work. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and guided exercises, while phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit brief check-ins into a busy day or to work through thoughts between sessions. These options make regular therapy more achievable for people juggling parenting and other commitments.
Questions people ask about Shahna
What issues can I bring to sessions?
Shahna works with stress, anxiety, depression and coping with life changes. She also helps with addiction, relationship strain, grief, trauma-related concerns and parenting pressures.
What is Shahna's therapeutic style?
Her practice is person-centred and practical, combining reflective listening with mindfulness and skills-based work. Sessions focus on what the client wants to change and on building manageable new habits.
How much experience does she have?
She has five years of professional experience working with a range of emotional and behavioural concerns. That experience shapes a practical, down-to-earth way of working.
What credentials and location are stated?
She is listed with BACP and practises in the United Kingdom. The profile uses BACP as the documented credential supplied.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only. International clients are not currently accepted.
In what formats are sessions offered?
Therapy is available by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. These options let clients choose what suits their day-to-day routines.
How are sessions charged?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with Shahna?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. Then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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