Mary Shiels, BACP

Mary Shiels uses practical, person-focused therapy to help people untangle anxiety, stress and grief. She is a counsellor with a BACP accreditation and three years of experience. Mary writes and speaks about wellbeing and brings a down-to-earth approach to sessions.

She blends cognitive behavioural ideas with acceptance and commitment principles to help people notice difficult thoughts and take value-led actions. Attachment-based thinking is used to look at how early relationships affect current patterns. Dialectical skills are taught for strong emotions and relationship strain.

Mary works with people facing trauma, abuse, depression and panic attacks. She also supports those dealing with body image concerns, identity questions, loneliness and caregiving stress. LGBT issues are among her areas of focus and she offers a non-judgemental space for discussion.

Sessions are shaped around what each person needs. Practical tools and simple experiments are common, alongside reflective conversations about meaning and values. She aims to make therapy clear and doable for people juggling busy lives.

Mary offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging for clients in the United Kingdom and internationally. The service uses a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time, with session cost varying by location and therapist availability.

How Mary’s approaches work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice difficult thoughts and choose actions that reflect their values rather than being pushed around by anxiety. It can be useful for stress, worry and problems that feel stuck. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns shape current reactions and closeness; this approach can help with relationship anxiety, trust issues and feelings of isolation.

Finding the right mix of techniques is part of the work. Mary will collaborate with each person to decide which approaches fit their goals and preferences. Together they will try practical exercises and adjust the plan based on what helps most.

Online sessions are offered using video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversations and exercises that benefit from seeing each other, while phone sessions need less bandwidth and can fit into a short break. Live chat or messaging can suit brief check-ins, ongoing reflection or people who prefer not to use a camera. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit around work, caregiving or travel.