Sharon Lenihan , BACP

Sharon Lenihan is an integrative counsellor who has supported adults and young adults affected by sexual violence and trauma since 2021 through work with a Sexual Survivors Trust. She creates an accepting, non-judgemental space where people can explore the difficulties affecting their wellbeing and feel believed and heard.

Her style is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. Sharon adapts therapy to each person rather than asking them to fit a single model, drawing on person-centred therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic ideas, and mindfulness-based techniques to meet individual needs. Sessions proceed at the clientâs pace with sensitivity and respect for past experiences.

Sharon helps people to process overwhelming events, build practical coping strategies, and recover a sense of safety, self-trust, and resilience. She commonly supports those managing shame, anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, and the longer-term effects of trauma.

Before training as a counsellor, Sharon spent many years in safeguarding roles supporting individuals and families through crisis, risk, and complex systems. That background contributes to her ability to hold sensitive material and offer grounded, trauma-informed support during stressful life circumstances. Sharon holds the BACP credential, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and works with clients in the United Kingdom and internationally.

Integrative approaches for online therapy and support

Sharon commonly uses cognitive behavioural therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and developing practical strategies to manage anxiety, low mood, and stress. She also draws on person-centred therapy, which places the clientâs experience at the centre of the work and emphasizes empathy, respect, and collaboration to help people explore identity, relationships, and self-worth. Mindfulness-based techniques are included to support emotion regulation and present-moment awareness, useful for managing distress and calming the nervous system.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey. Sharon works collaboratively with each person to choose and adapt methods that fit their needs, goals, and preferences, reviewing progress together and adjusting the plan as required so therapy feels relevant and manageable.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions around work, family, or other commitments. For many people, remote sessions increase accessibility and help maintain continuity of care when life circumstances change, while allowing licensed professionals and therapists to provide consistent, focused support across distances.