Rate Sharon Lenihan

Reaching out for support can feel like a big step, especially if you’ve been through experiences that have left you feeling unsafe, unheard, or unsure who to trust. Since 2021, I have worked as an integrative counsellor with a Sexual Survivors Trust, supporting adults and young adults, who have experienced sexual violence and trauma. I offer a safe, accepting, and non-judgemental space where you can feel heard, believed, and supported as you explore the difficulties affecting your wellbeing.

My approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. I tailor therapy to your individual needs, drawing on person-centred therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic approaches, and mindfulness-based techniques. Rather than expecting you to fit a particular model, I work flexibly so that our way of working fits you. We move at your pace, with care and respect for what you have been through.

Together, we can work to process difficult or overwhelming experiences, develop coping strategies, and rebuild a sense of safety, self-trust, and resilience. Many of the people I work with struggle with shame, anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, or the lasting impact of trauma, and I aim to offer a steady, supportive presence as you make sense of these experiences.

Before training as a counsellor, I spent many years working in safeguarding roles, supporting individuals and families through crisis, risk, and complex systems. This background means I am experienced in holding sensitive material, working alongside fear and uncertainty, and offering grounded, trauma-informed support during highly stressful life circumstances.

You might be seeking therapy to understand the impact of past experiences, manage intense emotions, navigate relationship or family difficulties, or simply to have a space where you feel genuinely listened to and taken seriously. Whatever brings you, I will meet you with care, understanding, and respect, and walk alongside you as you find your way forward.

Areas I commonly support include:

Trauma and post-traumatic stress, sexual assault and abuse, domestic violence, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, shame and guilt, attachment difficulties, relationship and family issues, separation and divorce, self-harm, identity and self-worth, women’s issues, workplace stress, and young adult concerns.