SB Portrait of Shirley Banton

Shirley Banton, BACP

Experienced, reflective online counsellor

11 years in practice · based in United Kingdom · sessions in English · online sessions

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About Shirley

Shirley Banton is a counsellor with 11 years of practice and a BACP registration. She offers online sessions that aim to help people feel less overwhelmed and more able to manage everyday pressures. Shirley presents a calm, reflective style and welcomes people who want steady, thoughtful support rather than quick fixes.

Her work begins with listening closely to what matters to the person in front of her. Sessions are collaborative and paced to the client’s comfort.

Book with Shirley Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Background and approach

Shirley uses a Person-Centred emphasis while drawing on other methods to meet each person’s needs. She has substantial experience helping people who have faced domestic violence, relational abuse, coercive control and long-term relational trauma. That background informs how she helps clients rebuild confidence and set healthier boundaries after harmful relationships.

Shirley also supports people dealing with anxiety, stress, burnout, depression, grief, and change. Her years in further and higher education give extra insight into pressures on students and educators during life transitions. In practical terms she blends reflective conversation with techniques from cognitive and solution-focused approaches when helpful.

The aim is to understand patterns, try out new ways of coping, and strengthen day-to-day resilience. Online sessions are offered in English and can suit people who need flexible access to therapy.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on creating a respectful, non-judgemental space where the person sets the pace and direction. It helps people who need to feel heard and understood before making changes.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and introduces small practical experiments to test new ways of coping. It can be useful for anxiety, low mood and sleep or eating difficulties.

Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and try different tools together, adapting the approach as needs change in collaborative steps.

Online therapy delivers these approaches through video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text messaging. Video allows face-to-face conversation; phone can work when bandwidth is limited or for a quieter check-in. Live chat and messaging suit shorter check-ins, ongoing written reflection, or when someone prefers not to be on camera. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit around work, study and family commitments, while letting therapists use similar techniques to in-person work.
Book with Shirley Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Questions people ask

What concerns does Shirley commonly help with?
She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy difficulties, addictions, eating and sleeping problems, bipolar and ADHD related concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is calm, reflective and collaborative. She uses a person-centred stance and adapts techniques from other approaches to suit each person.
What background and experience does she bring?
She has 11 years of counselling experience and considerable work supporting survivors of domestic and relational abuse, plus long experience in further and higher education contexts.
Where is she based and what credential does she hold?
She practises from the United Kingdom and holds BACP registration as listed in her profile.
Which languages and international arrangements are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different preferences and schedules.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
11 years
Licensed
Languages
English

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