Personalized Therapy with Northern Star Counselling

As the founder of Northern Star Counselling, Shirley utilizes a person-centered and pluralistic approach, believing that no single method works for everyone. She draws on a range of therapeutic tools to support each person’s unique journey towards emotional wellness. 

Her work is grounded in trauma-informed therapy and is neuro-aware, providing a safe and compassionate space for clients to explore their experiences and rebuild emotional wellbeing at their own pace. Being trauma-informed means that safety, trust, and choice are at the core of her practice. She understands how overwhelming life experiences, especially those involving trauma, can impact both body and mind. Her approach is gentle and empowering, creating an environment where clients feel secure enough to navigate difficult experiences at their own pace. 

As a neuro-aware therapist, Shirley is mindful of how neurodiversity support, including conditions such as autism, ADHD, or sensory processing differences, can shape an individual's experience of the world and therapy itself. She adopts an open, flexible approach, aiming to adapt the therapeutic space to meet each person's unique ways of thinking, feeling, and relating. 

Her areas of interest include early life adversities, childhood abuse, anxiety, domestic violence, trauma, PTSD, perinatal mental health, empowerment, and bereavement. Above all, Shirley offers a calm, supportive space where clients can feel safe to be themselves.