ShellyTherapy

02/02/2026

We all know the Sunday ritual. Kitchen counters lined with matching containers, roasted veg cooling on the side, and the methodical chopping of greens. We meal prep because we know that “Monday You” will be far too knackered to cook a healthy dinner from scratch.

Move over meal prep! Discover 'Mood Prep', a proactive mental health ritual designed to help you beat the February blues and build emotional resilience.

02/02/2026

There’s a kind of productivity no one talks about,
the kind you need when your confidence is low and life has changed.

After divorce, burnout, or emotional overload, pushing harder often makes things worse.

What actually helps is rebuilding trust with yourself in very small ways.

One tiny task.
One gentle pause.
One day that doesn’t feel like failure.

That’s how confidence slowly comes back.

Comment CALM if you’d like my free guide:
Simple productivity tips for your everyday 🤍

Take care, Shelly x

01/02/2026

Habit stacking is everywhere right now because it gives people something practical that works when life is busy or mentally loud.

You’ll see athletes, founders, and therapists talking about it, not as a productivity hack, but as a way to stay grounded without forcing change. It works by linking one small action to something you already do, so the brain doesn’t have to work harder than it already is.

This is especially relevant if you’re capable, high-functioning, and quietly exhausted. You don’t need another routine. You need approaches that fit into real life and support you where you already are.

If you like practical psychology, calmer ways to cope, and honest conversations about what actually helps, you’re in the right place. Follow along for more.

Take care, Shelly x

27/01/2026

I’m Shelly, a therapist, and my work is about helping people feel calmer, clearer, and less crushed by the constant pressure of life. Not fixing you, not analysing you to death, and definitely not telling you to ‘just breathe’. It’s real support for real stress, the kind that builds up when you’ve been holding everything together for far too long.

We slow things down, make sense of what’s going on, and create space so you can think more clearly and feel more like yourself again. That’s why trust matters here. This is a place where you don’t have to perform, explain yourself perfectly, or be ‘strong’.

If you’ve been thinking about therapy, even quietly or on and off, you’re welcome to book a friendly chat via the link in my bio. Or you can stay for now, read along, and get a feel for my work. There’s no pressure and no rush.

Take care, Shelly 💫

Shelly Dar: Qualified & Registered therapist for your peace of mind. Counselling & Psychotherapy Private Practice.

25/01/2026

Most of us have a familiar way of responding when life feels stressful, whether that looks like pushing through, withdrawing, staying busy, or going quiet.

Those responses didn’t appear randomly. They formed over time, usually when pressure became something you had to manage rather than avoid.

Looking at stress through star signs keeps things light, but it still reveals patterns. Reactions repeat, habits show themselves, and awareness creates a little more room to choose how you respond.

If your slide made you pause, it’s probably pointing at something worth noticing. Take what’s useful, leave what isn’t.

If you’re curious about understanding your own stress patterns more clearly, you know where to find me.

Take care, Shelly 🦂

25/01/2026

I had the opportunity to offer a therapist’s perspective in a Daily Mirror news feature this week. If you’re interested in how behaviour and communication are interpreted through a psychological lens, you can watch my video in the article.

The article explored reactions to a recent speech by Donald Trump, and I was asked to comment from a therapeutic and behavioural perspective. You can watch my feedback on the Daily Mirror news page below.

It’s always meaningful to see mental health perspectives included in mainstream conversations, and I’m grateful to contribute in a way that brings nuance, grounding, and emotional understanding into the public space.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/donald-tump-concealed-key-detail-36594914.amp?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnz4ENTpPKGI5-9GoNkIfayJpphqM73t3bFcC4Ht65_M0wsnUF2KwD40j09P8_aem_OVqhIeZHsevI1rDWIw-Wbw

A psychotherapist has analysed Donald Trump's body language during his World Economic Forum speech in Davos, noting rigid presentation style and dominant personality traits

25/01/2026

There’s a growing desire to step back from the constant pull of our phones and reconnect with ourselves again. I’ve been exploring why this is happening - and how it can genuinely support our wellbeing.

Discover why so many people are stepping back from social media & how reducing screen time can improve your mental health, relationships & emotional wellbeing.

19/01/2026

Messages like this take my breath away.

They often arrive unexpectedly, years after our time together has passed, from people I had the privilege of working closely with.

As a therapist, I'm grateful for the deep, intimate connections we share, even if only for a season.

I may not always know the lasting impact of our conversations, but I do know that I hold each person in kindness, long after our sessions have ended.

Therapeutic relationships may be brief, but they have the power to be profoundly meaningful. By showing up with care, compassion, and a safe space, we create ripples that extend far beyond the therapy room, even when we're no longer a part of each other's stories.

I'm deeply grateful for the trust my clients place in me, and I'm humbled by moments like these. Thank you to each and every one of you 💗

18/01/2026

Mid-January has a particular weight to it. The intensity of December has faded, the promise of January feels thinner than expected, and many people are left with a quiet sense of flatness rather than renewal.

The routines have resumed, the pace has picked up again, yet something feels missing. Instead of clarity or motivation, there is often a sense of being fed up, slightly low, or unsure of direction, even if life looks perfectly functional from the outside.

Feeling lost, flat, or fed up this January? A therapist shares a kind, grounded perspective on finding yourself again without pressure or fixing