Shirley Rocks, BACP

Shirley Rocks helps people facing stress, anxiety, loss and life transitions. She speaks plainly and offers a calm presence for people who feel overwhelmed. Shirley is a counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and she works with adults on common struggles like low self-esteem, sleep problems, addiction and relationship strain.

Her background includes training with local counselling organisations and bereavement work that shaped her approach to grief and emotional change. She uses compassion as a base, making space for people to move at their own pace. This means sessions focus on what feels important to the person in front of her, not a fixed checklist.

Shirley draws on practical methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and attachment-focused work to help people notice difficult thoughts and find values-based ways to act. She also uses client-centred listening to help people feel heard and understood. When relationships are part of the issue, elements of Emotionally-Focused and Gottman-informed ideas guide conversations about communication and connection.

As a poet and writer she offers optional journaling and guided writing exercises. These tools are offered gently and only if someone finds them helpful; no writing experience is needed. They can help put feelings into words when talking feels hard.

Sessions can look different depending on need - quiet reflection, practical exercises, or conversational listening. Shirley aims to help people build clearer thinking, greater emotional steadiness, and kinder self-talk as they work through difficult moments.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and then choose actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, stress and finding direction when life feels overwhelming.

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early connection patterns affect current relationships and emotional responses. This approach can help people understand why they react the way they do in close relationships and work toward more secure ways of relating.

Shirley treats deciding on a method as a shared task. She will listen to what matters to the person, explain different approaches in plain language, and try things that fit the client's goals and comfort. Together they check what helps and adjust the direction of therapy as needed.

Online work can take place by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging, giving flexibility around time and place. Video allows face-to-face conversation; phone sessions need less bandwidth and can be easier during a busy day. Live chat and messaging suit shorter check-ins, writing-focused work, or people who prefer typing to speaking. These options make it easier to keep therapy going around work, family life and travel while using the approaches above to focus on real change.