Shelly Chaudhry

Integrative Psychotherapist
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About

Shelly has been working as a Therapist for Priory Hospital Woking, since November 2018. Shelly also spent five years working as a mental health assistant at Priory Hospital Mildmay Oaks, a Low Secure and locked rehabilitation service for males and females with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders. Prior to her position at Woking, Shelly spent four years working for MIND – the mental health charity – as an integrative psychotherapist. Based in diverse London communities, she provided short and long term therapy to a wide range of patients from various ethnicities, cultures and socio-economic groups. She also supported patients originating from war-torn countries. Patients presented with multiple and complex issues including abuse, trauma, relationship difficulties, depression, anxiety, addictions, anger, and suicidal ideology.

Training

Shelly completed her BSc (honours) in Psychology through the Open University in 2013, and then went on to complete a MSc in Therapeutic Counselling at Greenwich University. Her masters took an integrative approach to psychotherapy – including psychodynamic, person-centred and CBT modalities. After qualification, Shelly gained accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She continues to professionally develop, in 2018 she completed specialist training in bereavement therapy, creative therapies and Gestalt chair work.

Research interests 

As part of her final dissertation at Greenwich University, Shelly chose to research the field of ‘Men and Mental Health’ specifically the influence of masculinity. Fuelled by the worrying male suicide statistics and societies restrictions of gender stereotyping and social stigma – the research highlighted the challenges males face when needing / seeking help. Her research went on to explore how to overcome these challenges in order to meet specific needs of males; working with the individual and the many facets of masculinity, influenced by culture, socio-economic status, sexuality, religious beliefs, and age (not an exhaustive list). Shelly, continues with this field of interest looking into post-natal depression in males.

Feedback

The below feedback is from patients Shelly has worked with:

  • “Thank you hardly seems to cover the gratitude I have, you’ve made the journey easy and painless”
  • “This experience has been very valuable to me”
  • “Thank you for your understanding, it gave me a safe place to open up”
  • “Thank you so much for your help and guidance”
  • “It has turned my life around”
  • “It gave me the opportunity to understand myself better”
  • “I have developed the strength to look forward with confidence, instead of back with fear”

Qualifications

  • British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - Accreditation
  • BSc Psychology (Honours)
  • MSc Therapeutic Counselling

I am a fully qualified, registered and accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). This means I have been deemed to meet the BACP’s standard for a competent, ethical and independent practitioner.

I see the relationship between the patient and therapist as integral to the effectiveness and successful outcome of therapy. I aim to enable the patient to find a sense of self, help alleviate distress, enhance wellbeing, increase resilience and promote relationships. I take a holistic view of the person – made up of their biology, psychology, social and spiritual aspects. I work in relationship with the patient to explore their experiences, development, relationships, personality and unconscious. This often gives insight into the patient’s current ways of relating, behaving, and their thought-processes.

Gaining insight and awareness, through helpful and managed interventions, can give the patient the ability to re-frame experiences; potentially name, own, understand and accept overwhelming experiences. It can also help them to explore the helpful and hindering consequences of learned behavioural, cognitive and emotional processes and responses. I lead with the notion that the patient is the expert in their life.