Remote therapy, parenting support, school liaison, from the convenience of your home or office
I specialise in working with people of mixed culture, suspected or diagnosed neurodivergence, or any other areas relating to identity or belonging including GSRD
I will give you a safe and confidential space, free of judgement, to explore whatever is difficult in your life, and to help you identify what you might want to change
Therapy & coaching sessions available to help support you, or your neurodivergent child or student
Remote or online counselling is a way for you to engage in counselling without the demands or stress of travel, and can be particularly helpful to those who experience sensory overload or have a demanding personal schedule.
I also offer coaching or consultancy sessions to parents and educators, to help you support your neurodivergent children and students.
I have full training and extensive experience in video, audio, and SMS therapy, as well as through email for those who may prefer no interruptions, a much slower pace, or who struggle with regular time commitments.
About me
Nina Shah Gestalt Counsellor Dip. MBACP (Accred.), Reiki Master Level 3
I am a British therapist who recently relocated to Stockholm, and I continue to work remotely with clients in the UK.
My cultural backdrop is British Croatian by birth, and British Pakistani by marriage. I specialise in issues relating to feeling different for whatever reason, including mixed culture life, neurodivergence (ADHD, autism etc), the twin relationship, and gender, sexual and relationship diversity.
I am a UK-accredited Gestalt therapist with 30 years of experience in the fields of mental health and psychology.
Follow me on Instagram
✨ TIPS FOR FINDING A THERAPIST IF YOU ARE NEURODIVERGENT ✨
I have just written an article with tips on finding the right therapist when you are neurodivergent. Hope this helps some of you, especially those that have had poor experiences with one or more therapists previously.
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/articles/finding-a-suitable-therapist-if-you-are-neurodivergent
#adhd #autistic #neurodivergent #neuroaffirming #ndtherapy
✨ TIPS FOR FINDING A THERAPIST IF YOU ARE NEURODIVERGENT ✨
I have just written an article with tips on finding the right therapist when you are neurodivergent. Hope this helps some of you, especially those that have had poor experiences with one or more therapists previously.
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/articles/finding-a-suitable-therapist-if-you-are-neurodivergent
#adhd #autistic #neurodivergent #neuroaffirming #ndtherapy
So moody and dark, interspersed with streaks of light and hope!
Feels very analogous to the state of the world, and to my mind this morning - and I say this with a focus on the light, being usually of a hopeful and optimistic persuasion. ✨
Sunrise this morning.
#stockholm #optimism #hope #light
So moody and dark, interspersed with streaks of light and hope!
Feels very analogous to the state of the world, and to my mind this morning - and I say this with a focus on the light, being usually of a hopeful and optimistic persuasion. ✨
Sunrise this morning.
#stockholm #optimism #hope #light
On Saturday, I very foolishly and impulsively decided to take out my nose piercing to clean it, and couldn`t get the damn thing back in again! Cue hours of panic (during our first date in three years, which was lovely despite my panic - thanks LSS/Sweden for the opportunity), and then a trip to central Stockholm to get professional assistance. I spent most of the day in a panic or in pain, and I was very frustrated with myself.
Then I started to berate myself. Why do I rush in and do things without thinking them through, always assuming it will be fine? Why was I so silly? Why couldn`t I just have thought it through?
Well, we know why - ADHD. And if I`m being fair to myself, some of the best experiences of my life have occurred due to this impulsivity, and absolutely wouldn`t have happened without it. But this was definitely not one of them.
However, a more important piece of learning came out of all this. It made me realise how important the piercing was to me symbolically. It felt huge, the idea of losing it, a massive grief. I felt it was a symbol of me, my uniqueness, my beauty, and, without it, I feared I`d slip into obscurity - it was somehow holding me in place. It`s funny isn`t it? It now feels like an anchor into my core, my inner reality.
When difficult things happen, whether it is our fault or not, we often sink into a pit and feel sorry for ourselves. And that`s ok. For a bit. But then we have a choice to stay in that pit, or we can lift ourselves out by processing what happened, finding learning in the situation, a chance to know ourselves more fully.
People talk about core strength as a purely physical thing - the importance of the centre of our bodies being strong, so it can carry us, but this weekend I thought about core strength more holistically, where we also focus on being strong throughout our core, inside and outside, so our bodies can carry us physically, psychologically, and spiritually.
Thanks to @platinuminkpiercing yet again.
#adhd #impulsivity #identity #corestrength
On Saturday, I very foolishly and impulsively decided to take out my nose piercing to clean it, and couldn`t get the damn thing back in again! Cue hours of panic (during our first date in three years, which was lovely despite my panic - thanks LSS/Sweden for the opportunity), and then a trip to central Stockholm to get professional assistance. I spent most of the day in a panic or in pain, and I was very frustrated with myself.
Then I started to berate myself. Why do I rush in and do things without thinking them through, always assuming it will be fine? Why was I so silly? Why couldn`t I just have thought it through?
Well, we know why - ADHD. And if I`m being fair to myself, some of the best experiences of my life have occurred due to this impulsivity, and absolutely wouldn`t have happened without it. But this was definitely not one of them.
However, a more important piece of learning came out of all this. It made me realise how important the piercing was to me symbolically. It felt huge, the idea of losing it, a massive grief. I felt it was a symbol of me, my uniqueness, my beauty, and, without it, I feared I`d slip into obscurity - it was somehow holding me in place. It`s funny isn`t it? It now feels like an anchor into my core, my inner reality.
When difficult things happen, whether it is our fault or not, we often sink into a pit and feel sorry for ourselves. And that`s ok. For a bit. But then we have a choice to stay in that pit, or we can lift ourselves out by processing what happened, finding learning in the situation, a chance to know ourselves more fully.
People talk about core strength as a purely physical thing - the importance of the centre of our bodies being strong, so it can carry us, but this weekend I thought about core strength more holistically, where we also focus on being strong throughout our core, inside and outside, so our bodies can carry us physically, psychologically, and spiritually.
Thanks to @platinuminkpiercing yet again.
#adhd #impulsivity #identity #corestrength
I love these tips!! #adhd #rulesofengagement #boundaries
It`s so easy to project our own realities or experiences onto others, and use our own perspective (or what is inside us) to (mis)interpret others` motivations or actions, a term known as projection in the therapy world.
The advice below is very helpful to remember when dealing with difficulties in relationships, and as a way to improve the health of our relationships.
#projection #IAmMe #relationship
It`s so easy to project our own realities or experiences onto others, and use our own perspective (or what is inside us) to (mis)interpret others` motivations or actions, a term known as projection in the therapy world.
The advice below is very helpful to remember when dealing with difficulties in relationships, and as a way to improve the health of our relationships.
#projection #IAmMe #relationship
Chaps - if you`re finding things tough, please consider speaking to someone. You *can* regain control over your life.
Wars are not won when soldiers fight alone, but with the support of their brothers and sisters. Don`t feel you have to fight your battles alone either.
#mensmentalhealthawarenessmonth #malesuicide #suicide #mentalhealthawareness #men #mensmentalhealth #mentalking #dontfightalone #winthebattle #YouAreNotAlone
Chaps - if you`re finding things tough, please consider speaking to someone. You *can* regain control over your life.
Wars are not won when soldiers fight alone, but with the support of their brothers and sisters. Don`t feel you have to fight your battles alone either.
#mensmentalhealthawarenessmonth #malesuicide #suicide #mentalhealthawareness #men #mensmentalhealth #mentalking #dontfightalone #winthebattle #YouAreNotAlone
I treated myself to a spot of autumnal forest bathing and walking with a friend on Sunday, and then we sat on a bench, looking out over a lake, pondering life, the universe and everything.
One of the things we discussed is how valuable friendships can be in maintaining and supporting our `core` relationships (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfVXGO7gFdw) - the idea that is ok to expect to have all your needs met, but not via a single individual.
With our friends, when we have a conflict or difference of opinion, we may raise them with that friend, or we may go away and discuss with our significant other(s) or other friends, to process and work through, because there may be nothing for the other to do, it may all be on us. In other words, if it is ‘our stuff’ to deal with, not ‘theirs’.
To go away to discuss with a trusted ‘other’ can help preserve the relationship that has experienced the fracture. Even if it is ‘theirs’, that for example they crossed a boundary, it can still be helpful to process first, think about what boundaries were crossed and consider what exactly you would want to say to them, or would hope to change. It takes an emotionally strong person to cope well with a flurry of upset or hurt statements, that in the heat of the moment, may be felt as an attack or criticism.
And with our partner(s) we so often feel that everything needs addressing directly with them, and I don’t believe that it does. For example, if we address every single thing immediately, this can overload the relationship with constantly `working through` things – or it feel like an attack or criticism.
Sometimes it be healthier to discuss fractures in our ‘core’ relationship(s) with our friends - to process and come back to our partner either having worked out some things for ourselves first. It may be that a theme emerges, the larger issue to work on, rather than the hundreds of small examples that underpin the larger issue.
This is also the purpose of a therapist, so the complex and time-consuming `working out` process happens with others, and the `decision making` parts happen with the person involved.
#relationships #relationshiptips #conflict #repair #healing
I treated myself to a spot of autumnal forest bathing and walking with a friend on Sunday, and then we sat on a bench, looking out over a lake, pondering life, the universe and everything.
One of the things we discussed is how valuable friendships can be in maintaining and supporting our `core` relationships (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfVXGO7gFdw) - the idea that is ok to expect to have all your needs met, but not via a single individual.
With our friends, when we have a conflict or difference of opinion, we may raise them with that friend, or we may go away and discuss with our significant other(s) or other friends, to process and work through, because there may be nothing for the other to do, it may all be on us. In other words, if it is ‘our stuff’ to deal with, not ‘theirs’.
To go away to discuss with a trusted ‘other’ can help preserve the relationship that has experienced the fracture. Even if it is ‘theirs’, that for example they crossed a boundary, it can still be helpful to process first, think about what boundaries were crossed and consider what exactly you would want to say to them, or would hope to change. It takes an emotionally strong person to cope well with a flurry of upset or hurt statements, that in the heat of the moment, may be felt as an attack or criticism.
And with our partner(s) we so often feel that everything needs addressing directly with them, and I don’t believe that it does. For example, if we address every single thing immediately, this can overload the relationship with constantly `working through` things – or it feel like an attack or criticism.
Sometimes it be healthier to discuss fractures in our ‘core’ relationship(s) with our friends - to process and come back to our partner either having worked out some things for ourselves first. It may be that a theme emerges, the larger issue to work on, rather than the hundreds of small examples that underpin the larger issue.
This is also the purpose of a therapist, so the complex and time-consuming `working out` process happens with others, and the `decision making` parts happen with the person involved.
#relationships #relationshiptips #conflict #repair #healing
This is the time of year when the veils are said to be thinner between our world and the next.
Whatever you believe, the people in these photos mattered to me, and I consciously remember them around this time, what they meant to me, how much I loved them, what I appreciated about them, and also the fractures we experienced that pushed us apart or brought us closer. However flawed they were or our relationship was, they were loved.
Death is an important part of life. Life is the "seen between two unseens. Why in this truth find sorrow?" (Bhagavad Gita)
Death gives us the balance to truly appreciate and live life as it should be lived, with enjoyment, abandon, with love, and with appreciation.
Wishing you all a good Halloween, Day of the Dead, All Saints Day, and Samhain.
#halloween #allsaintsday #allhallowseve #samhain #samhainblessings #dayofthedead #diadelosmuertos
(1) Reminder
(2) Great grandparents and great great grandparents with their families
(3) Grandparents and dad, with me
(4) Grandparents, aunts, uncles and great aunts (just a handful still going strong)
(5) My auntie and my dad (with her husband and my mama, both still going strong)
(6) My beautiful friend, the `triplet` to us twins
This is the time of year when the veils are said to be thinner between our world and the next.
Whatever you believe, the people in these photos mattered to me, and I consciously remember them around this time, what they meant to me, how much I loved them, what I appreciated about them, and also the fractures we experienced that pushed us apart or brought us closer. However flawed they were or our relationship was, they were loved.
Death is an important part of life. Life is the "seen between two unseens. Why in this truth find sorrow?" (Bhagavad Gita)
Death gives us the balance to truly appreciate and live life as it should be lived, with enjoyment, abandon, with love, and with appreciation.
Wishing you all a good Halloween, Day of the Dead, All Saints Day, and Samhain.
#halloween #allsaintsday #allhallowseve #samhain #samhainblessings #dayofthedead #diadelosmuertos
(1) Reminder
(2) Great grandparents and great great grandparents with their families
(3) Grandparents and dad, with me
(4) Grandparents, aunts, uncles and great aunts (just a handful still going strong)
(5) My auntie and my dad (with her husband and my mama, both still going strong)
(6) My beautiful friend, the `triplet` to us twins
