Counsellor profile
Shirley Banton, BACP
Counsellor - trauma and anxiety support
See online counselling options- Person-centred approach
- Trauma-informed practice
- CBT and mindfulness
About Shirley
Counsellor Shirley Banton is a BACP member with 11 years' experience working in the United Kingdom. She helps people with anxiety, stress, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, addiction and a wide range of other issues listed on her profile. Sessions are presented in plain language and aimed at people who want reflective, steady support rather than quick fixes.
Shirley works from a person-centred foundation and blends other approaches to match each person's needs. She describes her work as collaborative and paced to the individual. That means she pays attention to how someone prefers to move through difficult memories or current pressures, and adjusts the approach accordingly.
Her background includes long experience with survivors of domestic and relational abuse and with people facing burnout, identity strain and pressures linked to education and work. This informs how she understands patterns, boundaries and recovery after relational harm. The profile notes familiarity with long-term relational trauma and coercive control.
In practical terms she supports people who feel overwhelmed, stuck, exhausted or disconnected. Work in sessions can include looking at patterns, rebuilding confidence and practicing clearer boundaries. Shirley also lists help for issues such as sleep and eating problems, addictions, ADHD and mood disorders among her focus areas.
She offers counselling in English and accepts international clients. Costs vary by location and use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session via the online counselling options button.
How Shirley uses core approaches in online counselling
Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person's experience. The counsellor offers a non-directive stance, helps people speak about what matters and supports self-led reflection. This approach can help with low self-worth, relationship difficulties and feeling stuck.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact. It uses practical steps to test unhelpful thinking and try different responses. CBT can suit people facing anxiety, stress, sleep or mood difficulties.
Mindfulness Therapy involves simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus. It can be useful for managing anxiety, emotional overwhelm and sleep problems.
Choosing an approach is part of the work. Shirley will talk with each person about their needs, goals and preferences and help decide which methods to use. This is a collaborative process that can change over time as needs shift.
Practical benefits of working remotely depend on the session formats available. The profile asks people to confirm current options before booking, so check which formats Shirley offers. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around study, work or family commitments. They also let people have shorter check-ins or avoid travel when that helps them stay consistent with sessions.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
11+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions and a wide range of other listed problems such as sleep, eating and self-esteem.
What is her therapeutic style?
She works from a person-centred base and integrates other approaches like cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness. The work is collaborative and paced to the individual.
How long has she been practising?
She has 11 years of experience working with clients in counselling settings.
Which professional body is she a member of and where does she practise?
She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, listed as BACP, and works in the United Kingdom.
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm the current session options before booking, as the profile does not list explicit formats.
How much does counselling cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Use the See online counselling options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule your first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A membership or registration can be checked on the professional body's own register.
Online counselling is not emergency care. In an emergency call 999, or see the help numbers.