About Shirley
Shirley Rocks offers calm, straightforward support for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief or low self-esteem. She helps clients untangle relationship strain, sleep and eating problems, addiction concerns, ADHD-related difficulties and workplace pressure. Shirley writes plainly and meets people where they are, helping them take small steps towards feeling steadier.
Shirley trained as a counsellor and holds BACP membership, and she practises from the United Kingdom. She began her counselling work after training with established local organisations, then focused on bereavement support and emotional transitions.
How Shirley works
That background shapes how she responds to loss and sudden change. Her approach is compassionate and client-centred. Sessions are relaxed and paced to suit each person.
Shirley draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help with difficult thoughts and emotions, and on Attachment-Based ideas when relationships and early patterns matter. She also uses Emotionally-Focused methods and elements of the Gottman Method when working through relationship and communication problems. Practical tools such as mindfulness and guided writing are offered for people who find them helpful.
Poetry and journaling are optional techniques for expressing feelings that are hard to say aloud. Sessions aim to build clearer self-understanding and better emotional regulation. Shirley supports people to notice patterns, try new responses and practise kinder self-talk.
The goal is steadier day-to-day coping and a clearer sense of what matters next.
Shirley lists 7 ways of working on the entry:
What Shirley works with
The areas below are the ones Shirley selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Communication problems
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 4 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How Shirley's approaches work online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, stress and low mood because it teaches practical skills to stay present and move forward despite difficult feelings. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at early relationship patterns and how they affect current connections; it helps when communication problems, abandonment worries or trust issues are part of the difficulty.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Shirley will discuss which methods fit a person's situation and preferences, and adjust the plan as therapy progresses. That means decisions are made together, with room to try different techniques and see what helps most.
Online sessions can be arranged as video calls, phone conversations, live chat or text-based messaging. Video is good for a fuller face-to-face feel, while phone calls need less bandwidth and can fit into a short break. Chat and messaging suit people who prefer shorter check-ins or written reflection. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, parenting and travel without losing continuity of care.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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