Shahna Thurston , BACP

Shahna Thurston is a counsellor who uses a person-centred and humanistic approach to therapy. She works in a straightforward way that puts the client’s experience at the centre. Shahna is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and she brings five years of professional experience to her practice.

She focuses on common concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression and addictions. She also helps people dealing with relationship difficulties, self-esteem problems, grief and trauma and abuse. Women’s issues are among the areas she lists as a focus, and she offers support around intimacy-related problems and body image concerns.

Her work blends client-centred listening with mindfulness and skills-based techniques from dialectical behaviour therapy. Sessions often involve learning practical ways to manage emotions, spotting unhelpful patterns, and trying out new ways of responding to difficult situations. Motivational interviewing and narrative ideas also inform her approach when exploring values and life choices.

Shahna also addresses complex or layered concerns such as bipolar symptoms, ADHD, chronic illness and caregiver stress. She can support people coping with major life changes, work pressures, compassion fatigue and the aftermath of traumatic events.

Her sessions are offered online by video call, phone, live chat or text messaging. To begin, a simple matching questionnaire is completed and scheduling follows according to therapist availability.

Approach-driven online therapy that fits your life

Shahna uses client-centred therapy which focuses on listening and understanding a person’s experience without judgement. This approach helps people feel heard and can make it easier to talk about stress, relationship troubles and self-esteem concerns.

She also draws on elements of dialectical behaviour therapy, known as DBT, which teaches clear skills for managing intense emotions and reducing impulsive behaviours. DBT-style skills can be useful for coping with anxiety, anger, addiction-related urges and emotional overwhelm.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Shahna will discuss your goals and preferences and suggest which methods to try together. The plan can shift as you learn more about what helps you most, so the process stays collaborative and practical.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual cues matter, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low or you prefer no camera, and chat or messaging is useful for shorter check-ins or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and to keep contact consistent over time.