Shea McCartney
Gentle integrative counselling for practical change
About Shea
Shea McCartney is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom. He trained at postgraduate level and brings four years of practice to his work with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and grief. Shea is a Registered Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and an Accredited Member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
He describes his approach as integrative with a strong person-centred and trauma-informed base.
Background and approach
Shea aims to make people feel heard and understood before using any particular techniques. He values warmth, honesty and an unhurried pace when working through difficult material. Shea has worked in NHS mental health services, child protection, trauma and suicide intervention organisations.
That background informs his work with issues such as depression, bereavement, domestic abuse, self-harm and significant life changes. He also supports people dealing with relationship and family challenges, intimacy concerns, caregiver stress and compassion fatigue. In sessions Shea adapts methods to each person rather than forcing a single model.
He draws from client-centred, cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic, solution-focused and trauma-focused approaches as helpful. The aim is to build understanding, ease distress and identify practical steps forward. He sees therapy as a collaboration.
Shea works at a pace that suits the individual, whether someone wants short-term help for a specific problem or longer-term support. He also keeps learning through ongoing professional development to stay aligned with current practice.
What Shea works with
How Shea works
Listed by Shea among the ways they work.
Listed by Shea among the ways they work.
Listed by Shea among the ways they work.
Listed by Shea among the ways they work.
Listed by Shea among the ways they work.
Sessions & fees
How Shea's approaches translate to online work
Client-centred work focuses on listening and creating space for people to speak openly. Online or remote sessions can still centre on being heard and on building trust through steady, attentive dialogue. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings and actions and looks for practical changes. That structure can make short-term goals and homework tasks easy to discuss between sessions. Trauma-focused work concentrates on helping people process distressing experiences at a pace that feels manageable, and techniques can be adapted to suit each person's readiness.Choosing the right way of working is a shared task. Shea works collaboratively to decide which approaches fit best for a person's goals and comfort. He will discuss options and adjust methods as the work progresses so the plan matches what the person needs and prefers.
If you are considering online therapy, check the current session options before booking. Confirming the available formats will help you pick what fits your life. Many people find online sessions easier to slot into a busy day, let them have shorter check-ins, or avoid travel time. Others value being able to use a quieter setting or an approach that reduces focus on screens. A conversation about practicalities is part of the initial scheduling process so sessions can be arranged to work alongside your routine.
| Session length | Typically 50 minutes |
|---|---|
| Client ages | Adults, 18 and over |
| Fees | Subscription via BetterHelp, cancel anytime |
| Insurance | Not billed directly |
Questions people ask
What kinds of problems does Shea help with?
What is Shea's therapeutic style like?
How much clinical experience does he have?
Which professional credentials does he hold and where is he based?
What languages are sessions offered in?
Can people outside the UK work with him?
How are sessions organised and what do they cost?
How do I begin if I want to see him?
Areas of focus
What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Anger management
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 4 years
- Registered with
- BACP, NCPS
- Languages
- English
