Marvi Shah

I am available for sessions Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm. Please contact me to check for available slots.

I am an experienced and empathetic counsellor working with varying emotional and psychological difficulties. I offer short and long-term counselling to my clients. I am based in the Republic of Ireland and currently primarily practice online and providing counselling to clients based worldwide, as well as locally. 

I am British-Pakistani and have experience working with South Asian clients, with whom I speak English, Urdu and Hindi and share a common cultural background. However, my practice is not limited to South Asian clients and I am enthusiastic about working with clients of any and all cultural and ethnic backgrounds. 

In addition to being a Member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (MBACP), I am also a Graduate Member of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and a Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society (GmBPsS). 

I am a trained Humanistic Integrative Psychotherapist and also hold an MSc in Psychological Studies from the University of Glasgow. 

In my sessions, I use a Humanistic Integrative approach to counselling, focused on building an authentic and collaborative relationship with all my clients.

Seeing a therapist is a choice that may be very difficult for some individuals, due to stigma about mental health or mental illness, thus I aim to provide a safe and confidential space for clients to discuss whatever they bring to the table, doing so at their own pace. I work with clients to build a trusting, mutually respectful and judgement-free environment, with the hope that they will connect with me on a deeper level and be able to share experiences they have not shared before. I work collaboratively with my clients to understand the source of their troubles and set goals to work on improving their life and reducing their pain and distress. 

I am trained in and use a Humanistic Integrative approach (Person-Centred/Humanistic and Psychodynamic) in my work. As a result, I work with the past experiences, especially childhood experiences, connecting them to the present and how they are affecting the client's life in the here and now. My style of counselling is open, friendly and conversational in nature. I do not believe in the "one size fits all" approach and thus adapt my way of working based on the individual needs of each client. 

I place a great deal of emphasis on the therapeutic bond, which is vital to any style of counselling and strongly believe that the therapeutic space is one where clients must feel safe, heard, held and seen. 

Common themes in my work are: Depression and Low Mood; Anxiety and Stress; Trauma and Childhood Trauma; Sexual Abuse, Sexual Trauma and Assault; Emotional, Physical and Psychological Abuse and Trauma; Childhood Abuse and Neglect; Shame and Multigenerational Shame; Insecure Attachment Styles; Childhood and Relationship Difficulties; Eating Difficulties; Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideations and Attempts; Parental or Mother Wounds; Grief, Loss and Bereavement; Boundary Setting.

Before the first session, all my clients are sent a Client-Counsellor Contract which they must thoroughly read, fill out, sign and send back to me before the first session. 

The first session will include a client history taking/assessment questionnaire of therapeutic needs, including the client's goals and expectations from therapy. Each therapy session is for 50 minutes and the aim is to complete this questionnaire in the first session. In the event that this is not possible, the remaining will be completed at the start of the next scheduled session. 

As not all therapists are suitable for every individual, the first session is a good indicator of whether the client feels like they connect with their therapist and whether they are a good match for them. It is recommended to give 4 to 6 sessions with the same therapist before deciding to switch or deciding whether therapy is for you or not. It is the personal choice of each individual whether they wish to follow this.