YAW therapy
Meet Shalini
Hi there! I'm Shalini. I was born and raised in Singapore, and immigrated to Australia in my teens. After university and a few years of working, I moved to the UAE. I spent a decade working in Dubai and travelled the world, which remains to this day one of the most enriching experiences in my life. I am sure you can tell by now travel and living around the world is one of my deepest passions. In 2020, I relocated to the Cheshire countryside with my family.
Throughout my career, I’ve always worked in roles that involved listening, empathising, connecting with others and understanding their needs. These experiences have shaped my approach as a therapist and helped me develop a strong sense of understanding and compassion for the people I work with.
Having lived in diverse cultures and being a person of colour, I have a lived appreciation for the challenges people face in navigating different identities and experiences. This has fuelled my commitment to inclusivity and creating a space where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and understood.
I bring experience from community mental health services affiliated with the NHS, charitable organisations and private practice. These roles have given me a strong foundation in delivering person-centred therapy while working with individuals with diverse needs.
When I’m not in the therapy, I enjoy walking in the countryside, listening to music, trying new recipes, watching stand up comedy and having spontaneous kitchen dances with my daughters. I occasionally fall into the black hole of doom scrolling as much as the next person.
Most importantly I’m human, and like everyone, I’m constantly evolving just like my clients. We're all navigating the peaks and troughs of this life and I’m right there with you.
I became a mother for the first time with the birth of my daughter, Isla. At around 18 months, we noticed developmental delays, a realisation that marked the beginning of our journey through the complex world of paediatricians, educational psychologists, and speech & language specialists. Isla was officially diagnosed 4 years later as autistic. By age seven, she also received diagnoses of ADHD, a severe language processing disorder, and moderate learning disabilities.
As parents, we soon realised the challenges we faced to secure the support Isla desperately needed. We spent endless hours filling forms, attending appointments, and recounting every detail of my pregnancy, her birth, and her early development. The struggle was intensified by gender biases since Isla, being female, didn’t fit outdated stereotypes or diagnostic criteria. It was isolating. It was at this time that I turned to speaking to a therapist. After much effort and going through the appeals process, Isla received an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) and was given a place at a school specialising in autism.
Reflecting on these years, the emotional toll on us as parents is undeniable. Yet, amidst these challenges, I discovered my purpose. Working as a therapist, I quickly realised there are more neurodivergent individuals than society acknowledges. Due to the barriers in diagnosis, gender bias, the outdated criteria, and the pervasive discrimination, hinder many people from truly understanding themselves. I am deeply committed to changing that narrative.
Our Neurodivergent Journey
