Iβm a neurodivergent mixed-culture therapist and a queer ally, offering a safe, inclusive and neuro-affirming space
I specialise in working with neurodivergence, including ADHD, autism and AuDHD - and with the messy, confusing or complicated bits of life, like living a mixed culture life or exploring queer identity.
Iβm curious, inquisitive and deeply accepting. I bring warmth, energy, compassion and genuine acceptance to our work.
Support around ADHD, autism & AuDHD, mixed culture life, or gender, sexual & relationship diversity
Online counselling is a way for you to get support 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 support sessions to parents and educators, to help you create a calmer and more supportive environment for your neurodivergent children and students, and to reduce demands and overload on you.
I have full training and extensive experience in video, audio, and SMS therapy, as well as email.
About me
Nina Shah Gestalt Counsellor Dip. MBACP (Accred.), Reiki Master Level 3
Iβm a British therapist living in Stockholm, Sweden. I continue to work remotely with clients in the UK.
I am neurodivergent – late-diagnosed combined ADHD and gifted – with lived experience of autism, AuDHD, ARFID and PDA/demand avoidance, along with mixed culture and queer identity. I know what it is to struggle to find your rhythm or your place in life.Β
I offer a space where you donβt have to edit yourself, fit a mould or have everything figured out. Iβm curious, inquisitive and deeply accepting, and we can get curious together about what makes you tick, whatβs getting in the way, and what might help you feel more like yourself.
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I had the pleasure (and anxiety!) over the weekend of being interviewed for a podcast by the genuinely lovely Kathleen Johnson.
What emerged was a really meaningful conversation about neurodivergence, identity, culture and the many twists and turns of being human.
We explored what it means to grow up between cultures, never quite feeling as though you fully belong on either side. We talked about neurodivergence across the lifespan, the impact of unrecognised or unacknowledged neurodivergence within families, and how this can affect our mental health and relationships. We touched on the experiences of men, women and trans individuals, too.
A big part of our conversation centred around the often complicated intersection of ADHD, neurodivergence and perimenopause - how hormonal changes can bring previously hidden or masked neurodivergent traits into sharper focus - and how a late diagnosis kick starts a journey of understanding yourself and your life through a different lens.
What I particularly loved about this conversation was the openness, curiosity and sense of connection. These are the moments that remind me why I do what I do.
I hope you`ll join us for this episode, released today - I`d love to hear what you think!
β‘οΈ Link to the video here: https://youtu.be/Cx1pwsWRw-I?si=aMrt4RgI0NzKy_wJ
You can also find more of my thoughts and ramblings over on my website and YouTube channel, The Rambling Counsellor.
#Neurodivergence #ADHD #LateDiagnosisADHD #Perimenopause #NeurodivergentWomen #GestaltTherapy #MentalHealth #Identity #TheRamblingCounsellor
What if we are not fixed selves, but works in progress?
Philosopher Derek Parfit challenged the idea that there is a permanent, unchanging core to our identity. Instead, he suggested that the self is an evolving pattern of memories, experiences, beliefs, desires and psychological connections. An ongoing process of becoming.
I find this idea deeply liberating - as with the understanding and acceptance that permanence and sameness may be illusions we create to make life feel more predictable.
Of course, there`s something unsettling about this too - I experience this unsettling feeling as a sharp sense of anxiety, something cutting through me - but alongside that I also feel an exhilarating sense of possibility and freedom.
πΏ For me, this speaks to one of my core beliefs: our incredible capacity for change.
We are shaped by our past, but we don`t have to be defined by it. We are not forever bound by who we were, the choices we made, or the stories we`ve learned to tell about ourselves.
We can choose what to carry forward - for me this is authenticity, playfulness, openness, the things that feel true to me - while allowing other parts of ourselves to evolve.
Sometimes, the very belief that "this is just who I am" becomes what holds us back from moving forward and imagining a different life.
β¨ What if we let go of the pressure to remain consistent with who we`ve been? If we saw identity as something we`re continually creating?
Maybe this freedom begins when we recognise that we aren`t fixed, but something that flows through all the different versions of ourselves we`ve been - and all those we have yet to become.
πΏ I`d love to hear your thoughts. Does the idea of a fluid, ever-changing self feel liberating to you, or does it challenge something fundamental about your identity?
π½οΈ The video that inspired these reflections: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dyB2WT0k3fY
#PersonalGrowth #SelfAwareness #Psychology #Philosophy #HumanPotential
As our world darkens on this side of the globe, the beauty of light and colour in our skies seems to intensify. What wonderful gifts nature offers us as we move into a season of inwardness and retreat.
This might look like just another personal photograph of a sunrise, but it holds a deeper meaning for me, both in my appreciation of nature and in my work around mindfulness and perspective.
Sometimes my work is about helping others shift their perspective - to see things differently in ourselves, other people or the circumstances we find ourselves in. At other times, itβs about reconnecting with the wider world, whether through relationships with others or simply through spending time in nature. Connection is one of our fundamental human needs, and it can take many forms.
We are cyclical beings, too - something we can easily forget when we`re out of tune with the natural world - sleep cycles, monthly cycles for some of us, and the broader cycles of our lives.
Within all of these, we also move through hourly, daily or weekly cycles of action, creativity and retreat. Each has its place and its purpose, but in our busy, productivity-driven society, we often overlook the value of retreat and we don`t make time for it.
So perhaps this can be an invitation to take a moment to pause, and to notice what is beautiful where you are today.
I`d love to see what you notice, too! If you feel like sharing, please post a photograph of something beautiful in your world. β¨
#Mindfulness #NatureConnection #Perspective #Wellbeing #Reflection
Hi everyone! I`m sharing my latest article about accessibility, a longer version of a post I shared earlier this week:
β¨ CLIENTS - what can you expect in terms of adaptations, and what should you be looking out for when seeking a counsellor?
β¨ COUNSELLORS - what should we be thinking about to best support the additional needs our clients may bring?
#counsellor #counselling #accessibility #AccessibilityMatters #needs #SupportNeeds #adaptations
https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/articles/choosing-a-counsellor-what-accessibility-actually-looks-like
Here are seven relationship boundaries that I believe are important for healthy, respectful connections. π
Iβd love to hear your thoughts!
What would you change, add, or see differently? Is there a boundary you feel is especially important - something thatβs made a real difference in your relationships or that you wish more people understood?
Letβs open up the conversation and learn from one another.
#RelationshipBoundaries #HealthyRelationships #SelfRespect #HealthyCommunication #BoundariesMatter #EmotionalIntelligence #PersonalGrowth #ConsciousRelationships
NOTE: these were inspired by and modified from another post that I cannot find β if it was you, please let me know so I can credit you! π
Different perspectives can change everything.
Even the gloomiest of days offers colours, glimmers and beauty.
I share the beauty first, that I saw later after sitting a while under a tree and waiting until I saw.
Last, in contrast, the first photo I took, dark and gloomy, before my eyes had adjusted to seeing beauty.
Today`s wait between drop off and pick up. πβ¨
Playing online or gaming with your child can be a really useful way to support role playing, or practicing communication, rules and everyday routines. It can also really help children process their day, or share any anxieties or fears.
For some parents this can feel a bit daunting, especially if imaginative play doesn`t come naturally to you - or perhaps you`ve just forgotten how.
I recorded a video of me playing with my daughter, to show some ways to play together. I also include suggestions and guidance in the subtitles about ways you can support, boost or guide your child, especially positive ways to encourage them if they`re in burnout, or struggling to attend school or leave the home.
I hope to share more over time!
Have a great weekend everyone! πΏ π
β¨ https://youtu.be/9JqtCED189g
#NeuroAffirming #ChildDevelopment #ParentingSupport #EmotionalRegulation #PlayBasedLearning #SchoolAvoidance #MentalHealthAwareness
