Hey there,

It’s good to meet you!

My name is Shania (She/Her), and I’m a Trainee Integrative Psychotherapist.

As a Black, queer adoptee and founder of The Dunbar Project, I understand the importance of having a therapeutic space where your experiences and identity are met with curiosity, respect, and care.

Decolonial

✳︎

Adoptee

✳︎

Queer

✳︎

Black

✳︎

Therapist

✳︎

Decolonial ✳︎ Adoptee ✳︎ Queer ✳︎ Black ✳︎ Therapist ✳︎

About me

Sitting with you in the fire

I believe that some of the hardest moments in life can't be fixed with the right advice or a quick solution. Sometimes, what we need most is someone willing to sit with us in the fire while we make sense of what's happening and find our own way through.

My approach is integrative, drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), person-centred, and psychodynamic approaches. In practice, that means I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all model of therapy. Instead, I adapt my approach to fit you, your story, and what you need.

Alongside my clinical training, I've spent half a decade working and advocating in the adoption space as the founder of The Dunbar Project. As an adoptee myself, I also bring a lifetime of lived experience that deeply informs my understanding of identity, belonging, loss, and healing.

The reason I came into this work is twofold. One is a genuine passion for being alongside people through life's most difficult moments, not to tell them what to do, but to help them reconnect with themselves and discover what feels right for them. The other is a deep frustration at the lack of support available for adult adoptees and the lack of representation for Black and queer people within therapy spaces.

The values that underpin my work are rooted in a decolonial perspective. I'm interested in moving away from approaches that immediately pathologise or ask, "What's wrong with you?" Instead, I'm curious about your context, your relationships, your resilience, and the wisdom you already carry. I want therapy to be a space where you can reconnect with your intuition and build a life that genuinely works for you, rather than one shaped solely by other people's expectations.

I work under the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework and receive regular clinical supervision as part of my practice.

Sometimes we need to burn shit down to rebuild.

Areas of specialism

  • Adoption and developmental trauma

  • Adoption reunion

  • Identity exploration

  • Attachment difficulties

  • Disenfranchised grief

  • Racial identity and belongining

  • Complex racial identity in adoptees

  • Anxiety and overwhelm

  • LGBTQIA+ experiences

  • Global Majority LGBTQIA+ experiences

  • Depression

  • Relationships

  • Self-esteem

This is not an exhaustive list.

Got a question?

  • Girl, of course! While I have particular experience and a special interest in working with adoptees, people from global majority backgrounds, and LGBTQ+ communities, my practice is open to everyone. You don’t need to hold any specific identity or experience to work with me.

    What matters most is that you feel the space could be helpful for you.

  • You don’t need to be in crisis or have everything figured out to start therapy. People come for all sorts of reasons. You may be feeling stuck, overwhelmed, disconnected, curious about themselves, or simply wanting things to feel different.

    If you’re wondering whether it might help, that in itself is often a good enough starting point.

    If you’re unsure, I offer a free 15-minute introductory call where we can talk it through together and see if it feels like a good fit.

  • Unfortunately, I’m only able to offer therapy to clients who are physically based in the UK.

    This is due to professional, legal, and insurance requirements linked to my registration and training.

    You are more than welcome to join The Dunbar Project support groups!

  • At the moment, all sessions are held online. This allows flexibility and means you can access therapy from a space that feels comfortable and private for you.

    In the future, in person sessions will be available in Brighton.

  • You can join my waitlist by clicking below, and I’ll be in touch when a space becomes available.

Join the waitlist

Want to be the first to know when my books open? Join my waitlist and receive little updates along the way!