Shazia Mhar

I am an integrative psychotherapist and practising solicitor, offering therapy to adults navigating life’s challenges. My approach is person-centred and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on creating a safe and supportive space where you can feel heard, understood, and accepted without judgement.

As an integrative therapist, I draw on different therapeutic approaches depending on your needs, while working relationally and at your pace. I am not directive and do not offer quick fixes or advice. Instead, I work alongside you to explore your thoughts, feelings, and emotional responses, helping you develop greater awareness and understanding of your experiences.

Alongside my therapeutic training, I bring over 20 years’ experience working as a solicitor. I understand the practical demands of professional life, including long hours, responsibility, deadlines, and sustained pressure. I am also familiar with the less visible emotional impact of working in demanding roles, such as feeling undervalued, uncertainty about your role, and managing personal responsibilities alongside professional expectations.

I work frequently with solicitors, barristers, and other professionals in high-pressure roles. Many of the people I work with appear capable and resilient on the outside, while privately feeling depleted, uncertain, or unseen.

People come to therapy for many different reasons. You may be feeling overwhelmed, emotionally stuck, or unsure why things that once felt manageable no longer do. This can be linked to relationship or family difficulties, loss, pressures at work, health concerns, or significant life changes. Sometimes there is a clear issue to focus on; at other times, there is simply a sense that something is not quite right.

In our work together, I offer a calm, confidential, and supportive space where you can talk openly and be met with care and respect. Sessions are led by what feels most important to you. I work at your pace, without pressure to disclose more than feels manageable, and without imposing agendas or expectations.

My approach is relational and trauma-informed. We may explore your thoughts, feelings, emotional responses, and patterns of relating, as well as how past and present experiences may be influencing you now. By developing greater understanding and awareness, you can begin to make sense of your experiences and move towards change in a way that supports greater agency, choice, and empowerment.

I have experience working with survivors of domestic abuse, including emotional, psychological, coercive, and controlling dynamics, and with individuals affected by addiction. I recognise that many people continue to function outwardly — maintaining work, roles, and responsibilities — while privately carrying distress, shame, or isolation.

Therapy offers a steady and contained space to slow things down, make sense of your experiences, and reconnect with yourself in a way that feels safe and supportive. 

The first session is an opportunity for us to meet and begin to explore what has brought you to therapy. There is no formal assessment or expectation that you share anything you are not ready to discuss. We will talk about what you are hoping for from therapy and what feels important for you to focus on at this stage.

I will explain how I work, including boundaries, confidentiality, and practical arrangements, and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions. The session is also a chance for you to get a sense of how it feels to work with me and whether the space feels safe and supportive for you.

The first session is charged at the same rate as ongoing sessions. I also offer a free 15-minute introductory call prior to booking, so you can talk things through and decide whether therapy feels right for you.

There is no obligation to commit to ongoing sessions following the first appointment.