Mandika Shah-Dhillon, BACP

Mandika Shah-Dhillon is a counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, low mood and relationship concerns including jealousy. She offers a calm, steady place to begin when life feels overwhelming or uncertain. Many people come to her unsure where to start, and she welcomes that as a clear first step.

She trained in Person-Centred Counselling and the Psychotherapeutic Relationship at the University of Warwick and holds the BACP credential from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Mandika is also completing an MSc in Psychology of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Her background includes work in independent practice, university mental health services, addiction support and crisis roles.

Mandika’s style is warm, relational and intuitive. Sessions focus on listening closely, building trust and helping people name what matters to them. She works integratively, bringing person-centred foundations together with trauma-aware ways of working and contemporary psychological ideas.

Practical moments in sessions might include noticing recurring patterns, learning new ways to manage strong emotions and using mindfulness to steady the nervous system. Conversations can be short and focused or more exploratory, depending on what the person needs at the time.

If someone is feeling lost, overwhelmed or ready to look at what’s been beneath the surface, Mandika aims to meet them where they are. Initial steps involve gentle pacing and collaborative planning to decide what to try next.

Therapeutic approaches and working online

Mandika draws on Client-Centred Therapy to create a non-judgemental space where the person leads the pace and focus of work. This approach helps when someone needs to feel heard and to explore thoughts and feelings without pressure.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours link together and teaches practical techniques to manage anxiety, low mood and unhelpful patterns. Trauma-informed practice is woven through sessions to attend to strong emotional reactions and patterns that come from past harm.

Finding the right approach is collaborative. Mandika will discuss goals, try different ways of working and adapt methods to suit what a person finds most helpful. The choice of method is guided by the client’s needs, preferences and pace.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also support consistent contact when attending in-person sessions is difficult, and the therapist will help plan sessions to fit practical life demands.