- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Attachment work
About Mary
Mary Shiels is a BACP counsellor based in the United Kingdom with three years of clinical experience. She offers support for stress, anxiety, grief, depression and trauma, and works with people from LGBT backgrounds. Her practice highlights attachment concerns, body image, caregiver stress and communication problems.
Mary uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) alongside therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In sessions she focuses on feelings that are hard to name and on patterns that keep recurring. Conversations aim to make emotions clearer and to change unhelpful interaction cycles.
She also works with panic, mood difficulties and post-traumatic stress. Practical tools from ACT and CBT are used when helpful, and attachment-focused ideas are brought in to look at how relationships shape responses. That mix supports both short-term problem solving and deeper emotional work.
The biography highlights experience supporting people who face sexual trauma and coercive control. Mary has delivered training and public talks and describes work with topics such as bereavement, caregiver strain, and forgiveness. She can talk through issues around isolation, control problems, and difficulties with self-worth.
Sessions follow a conversational, client-centred tone that aims to identify what matters most to each person. Prospective clients should confirm current session formats before booking and use the provided pathway to complete a short questionnaire and schedule a first session.
Approach and how online sessions work
Mary draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy to look at feelings and attachment patterns. EFT focuses on identifying and expressing core emotions and on how these shape relationships and repeated responses. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is used to help people notice inner experiences, clarify values and take small actions that matter. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current relationship patterns affect feelings and reactions, and helps people explore safer ways of relating.Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which ideas to use based on their needs, goals and preferences. This means sessions can shift focus over time from practical skills to deeper emotional exploration as required.
Please confirm the current session formats before booking, as the biography does not list formats explicitly. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by removing travel time and allowing quicker check-ins during a lunch break or after work. They also make it possible to attend from another location and to choose shorter or longer appointments depending on what works best for daily routines.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
3+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Mary work with?
She addresses stress, anxiety, grief, depression and trauma, with additional focus on attachment issues, body image and caregiver stress.
What therapeutic style does she use?
Mary lists Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) alongside ACT, CBT, DBT and client-centred approaches and blends these to fit the client's needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has three years of experience working as a counsellor and trainer.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a BACP counsellor and is based in the United Kingdom.
Does she offer sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with her?
International clients are accepted; confirm any practical details before booking.
How are costs and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin a series of sessions?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.