Katie Shaw

Katie Shaw is a counsellor with more than two decades of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, low self-esteem and depression. She aims to make the first step feel manageable and talks in a warm, non-judgemental way so clients can begin to work through what matters to them.

Katie uses an integrative approach. That means she draws on several counselling models to suit each person. Sessions focus on the client's needs and practical steps to improve day-to-day coping and self-understanding. Topics she commonly supports include body image, attachment issues, communication problems and feelings of loneliness or emptiness.

She has been practising since qualifying in 2003 and is a BACP member, which is the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Her background includes work in a range of settings and time spent as a school counsellor supporting students and staff in a secondary school and sixth form.

In sessions Katie centres the person in front of her and works collaboratively to build confidence and self-esteem. She adapts the counselling style to each client's situation rather than offering a fixed programme. People can expect a calm, accepting presence and practical conversation about choices and next steps.

Katie also helps with issues linked to ageing, cancer, caregiving stress, fertility concerns, addiction and separation. If eating and food-related issues are a concern, she includes those among the areas she supports and can explore them in sessions.

How Katie adapts counselling methods for online work

Katie draws on several evidence-based techniques and adapts them to suit each person. Person-centred work focuses on listening, empathy and building the relationship so people feel heard and can clarify what they want to change. Cognitive behavioural approaches look at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and often include practical steps to test new ways of thinking or acting.

She also uses solution-focused ideas which concentrate on small, achievable goals and what is already working in a person's life. These approaches can help with anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties and problems around body image or eating concerns by breaking issues into manageable steps and learning new responses.

Finding the right mix is part of the process and Katie treats that as a shared task. She will discuss options with each person, test what helps in early sessions and adjust the plan based on needs, goals and preferences so the therapy fits the individual.

Practical benefits of online work include fitting sessions around school or work and saving travel time, which can make regular appointments easier to keep. Online sessions can also be adapted to suit quieter check-ins or longer conversations depending on what a person needs. The therapist's biography does not specify which session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking to ensure they meet your needs.