Hello, I’m Shahna, an MBACP Accredited therapist in the UK, with a Master’s in Counselling and Psychotherapy and five years’ professional experience. I work integratively, drawing on humanistic, person-centred, existential, psychodynamic, DBT-informed and trauma-informed approaches. I am also an EMDR therapist in training, which means I am currently developing my EMDR practice as part of my ongoing professional development.
I support clients with trauma, CPTSD, narcissistic abuse, anxiety, stress, relationship difficulties, self-esteem, emotional overwhelm and life transitions. My work is grounded in compassion, curiosity and safety, helping you understand patterns, regulate emotions, process painful experiences and reconnect with a stronger sense of self.
Therapy with me offers a warm, non-judgemental space where we can explore what has happened to you, how it continues to affect you, and what healing might look like at your pace. Together, we can work towards greater clarity, confidence, resilience and emotional freedom.
Additional areas of focus: Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Coping with grief and loss, Intimacy related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, Concentration, memory and focus (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 counseling, 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
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
BACP Therapist - Registered Member MBACP (Accred) #399232
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Shahna Thurston. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Shahna is incredible. I love working with her. I feel understood and supported. She helps me put things into perspective and helps me “peel the onion”.
For anyone with depression, anxiety and trauma, Shahna is a wonderful resource.
I would recommend anyone strongly working with her.
Written on Jun 21, 2026 after therapy with Shahna for 3 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, and self esteem
Shahna is really understanding, good listener, worked really well for me personally 10/10
Written on Nov 20, 2023 after therapy with Shahna for 4 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, and adhd