Shona Gibbs

**Please be aware that although I may have no availability noted on this site as I invariably hold a waiting list. So please, if you feel drawn to my profile and can wait, please do still contact me for an introductory call.**

Welcome

Hello and a warm welcome to my profile. My name is Shona and I am an experienced Counsellor and Psychotherapist now based in Central Scotland, having spent over two decades living in both Northern Italy and the South East of England. I work in-person and online.

I understand how daunting it can feel to take the first step towards starting therapy. You may have been thinking about therapy for a while. Perhaps you want to make changes, talk through something painful, or gain clarity around a life event. Maybe things feel too much or not enough. Whatever brings you here, I offer a space that is safe, respectful, and collaborative.

Who I Work With

Over the past 30+ years, I have worked with people in all kinds of pain; emotional, psychological and existential. I have sat alongside those in crisis, in confusion, in despair and with those quietly trying to piece themselves back together again.

My work is open and inclusive, and I welcome clients from all walks of life (over the age of 17 in Scotland and 18 in the rest of the UK and Europe). I am particularly interested in the kinds of issues that do not always have easy answers, including:

• Relationship difficulties
• Bereavement, grief, despair and loss
• Expatriation, cross-cultural relationships and third-culture identity
• The legacy of Boarding schools, International schools and The European School systems
• Addictions and their effect on intimate relationships
• Domestic, sexual, religious, spiritual abuse and trauma (particularly within the Evangelical, Fundamentalist or Presbyterian churches/Missionary families)
• Twin-related issues
• The Mother-Daughter Relationship
• Issues around Sex work
• Low self-worth and low self-esteem
• Living as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

Alongside my extensive professional training and experience, I bring a myriad of life experiences, including living across different cultures; navigating institutional systems that rarely make space for individuality, complexity or nuance; learning the intrinsic value of processing emotions such as shame, anger and grief; and allowing reflection and stillness to anchor clarity, strength and self-belief.

How I Work

I use a Pluralist approach to counselling, meaning I draw from the more widely known therapeutic approaches such as Person-Centred, Psychodynamic, Existential and CBT, alongside Feminist theory and creative techniques.

My style is far from clinical, hierarchical or distant. I strive to stay alert to the power dynamics that can come with this work, and I aim for something much more collaborative, thoughtful and deeply connecting.

What matters most is that we work together in a way that fits you - your personality, your needs and your life story. I see therapy as a respectful process and consciously rely on my values of compassion and of prizing each individual as truly unique.

What Clients Say

I am told I offer a warm and grounding space, especially for those feeling lost, angry, confused, sad, betrayed, stuck, or unsure of where to turn.

An Invitation

Therapy can be an act of courage, self-awareness and self-respect. If you feel drawn to what I’ve written here, I invite you to please get in touch.

NB. Although it may look like I have no availability, I invariably hold a waiting list and therefore am still happy to have introductory calls as long as you are happy to wait a while.