Mary Shiels , BACP

Mary Shiels is a counsellor, trainer, and TEDx speaker who works with people navigating stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, and a wide range of related concerns. She offers affirming therapeutic support for individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Asexual, Intersex and others who are gender, sex, or relationship diverse, and she explicitly welcomes those exploring consensual and nonconforming sexual expressions. Mary brings focused expertise in anxiety, panic, post-traumatic stress, bereavement and loss, and both childhood and adult sexual abuse, alongside specialist work with mood disorders, social anxiety, caregiver stress, and issues of self-love and body image.

She is one of Ireland's Ambassadors for Training in Consensual against Sexual Violence for teenagers and adults and provides support for sex workers. Mary practices methods such as the Clearing Method to help uncover and address deep emotional wounds, and she identifies as an Emotional Mastery specialist, supporting clients to build a stronger body-mind connection. Her practice also draws on trauma-led therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, mindfulness, and approaches tailored for neurodiverse presentations including ADHD, ADD, ASD and fetal alcohol spectrum conditions.

Mary works with people facing coercive control, domestic abuse, divorce and separation, guilt and shame, and challenges around communication, control, and life purpose. She holds BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - and frames her work to be nonjudgmental, compassionate, and aimed at helping clients understand and be understood.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Mary integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients clarify personal values and develop psychological flexibility - practical skills that support coping with stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions. Attachment-Based Therapy features work on early relationship patterns and how they shape current connections, helping people address attachment issues, relationship difficulties, and feelings of isolation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify and shift unhelpful thought and behavior patterns, which can be especially useful for anxiety, panic, and mood-related concerns.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Mary collaborates with each person to determine what best fits their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they explore methods, adjust techniques, and track what works to build a tailored plan.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone appointments, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different routines and comfort levels. For many people this combination of licensed professionals, adaptable formats, and consistent access to therapy makes ongoing work more achievable while supporting meaningful progress.