About Shiva
In my practice, I focus on how stress, trauma, anxiety, depression, and longstanding survival patterns shape the way we think, feel, relate to others, and move through the world. I pay close attention to how your nervous system has learned to protect you, and how those same strategies can sometimes keep you stuck in patterns of overwhelm, worry, overthinking, people‑pleasing, perfectionism, and emotional exhaustion.
My approach is collaborative, and grounded in real life. I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Somatic Therapy to help you better understand yourself, ease anxiety and depression, and create more space for choice, connection, and self‑compassion in your everyday life.
From Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, I now live in Hong Kong, and take clients virtually.
My Approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of counseling that helps you build a meaningful life while making room for difficult thoughts and feelings, instead of fighting with them.
Rather than trying to “get rid of” anxiety, sadness, or self-criticism, ACT teaches you skills to notice these experiences with more distance and less struggle. At the same time, we clarify what truly matters to you, your values, and take small, practical steps toward living in line with them.
In sessions, we may use mindfulness exercises, reflection, and guided practice to help you become more present, less stuck in your mind, and more able to act in ways that feel right for you.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, goal-focused form of therapy that looks at how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence one another.
The main idea is that unhelpful patterns of thinking (like “I’m a failure” or “Something bad will definitely happen”) can worsen anxiety, low mood, and stress, and can lead to habits that keep you stuck. In CBT, we work together to identify these patterns, gently question how accurate and helpful they are, and practice more balanced ways of thinking.
At the same time, CBT involves making small, practical changes in your day-to-day behavior- such as gradually facing fears, building healthy routines, or practicing new coping skills. It is usually present-focused, time-limited, and collaborative, with exercises or “home practice” between sessions to help you apply what you’re learning in real life.
Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy is a body‑focused form of therapy that recognises that stress, trauma, and emotions are often held not just in the mind, but also in the body.
In sessions, we pay attention to physical sensations (such as tension, numbness, tightness, or restlessness) together with thoughts and feelings, and use gentle techniques like grounding, breathing, movement, and awareness exercises to help your nervous system settle, release stored stress, and increase your sense of safety and connection in the present.