Julie Shankly , BACP

Julie Shankly is a counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with 21 years of professional experience. She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Julie focuses on helping people cope with stress, anxiety, depression and relationship or intimacy concerns.

She takes a respectful and compassionate stance in sessions. Julie adapts conversations and plans to the needs of each person. She aims to make the first steps into therapy feel manageable and supportive.

Julie works with a wide range of life challenges including grief, trauma and abuse, parenting strain, eating and sleeping difficulties, and career-related stress. She also offers support around identity and LGBT concerns, bipolar mood issues, ADHD and compassion fatigue. This includes practical help for communication problems, boundaries and commitment worries.

Her practice uses several ways of working to suit different needs. Sessions may focus on building practical skills to manage anxiety, exploring past patterns that affect the present, or finding short-term steps to move forward. Julie also uses hypnotherapy when appropriate, alongside longer-term talking work.

People seeking a therapist who listens, adjusts to individual circumstances and offers straightforward guidance may find her approach helpful. She encourages anyone who feels ready to take a step towards change to begin the matching process and arrange an initial session.

Approaches and how online therapy works

Julie commonly draws on client-centred principles, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and hypnotherapy in her work. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person, helping them feel heard and shaping the process around their priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thought and behaviour and teaches practical skills to manage anxiety, low mood and stress. Hypnotherapy involves guided relaxation and focused attention to support change in habits, sleep or emotional responses.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Julie will discuss goals, preferences and what feels comfortable, then try methods that match those aims. It is common to combine short-term practical techniques with deeper conversational work until a good fit is found.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls let people use visual contact for deeper conversation, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat supports shorter check-ins during a busy day, and text-based messaging works for ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, family life or travel schedules while keeping the focus on practical progress and emotional support.