Title: Who I Work With: Trauma, Anxiety, Stress | Renée Shearing Source: https://reneeshearing.com/who-i-work-with Last updated: 2026-10-18 Summary: I have worked therapeutically with people for nearly three decades, including people living with trauma, anxiety, chronic stress and emotional distress. # Who I Work With I have worked therapeutically with people for nearly three decades, including people living with trauma, anxiety, chronic stress and emotional distress. Some people come to me when life has become very hard to manage. Others are coping well on the outside but feel that something needs to change. Some are the person everyone else relies on, and are quietly worn out. Some have already done a great deal of therapy and are looking for a more integrative way of working. I understand that coming to therapy can be difficult. You may arrive frightened, ashamed, overwhelmed, exhausted, confused or unsure whether anyone can help you. You do not need to arrive with the right words, a clear understanding of your difficulties or a carefully worked out goal. We can begin wherever you are. The people I work with are often capable, thoughtful and functioning well in many areas of their lives. They may be professionals, entrepreneurs, founders, executives, clinicians, creatives, parents or simply people carrying a great deal of responsibility. Their lives may look successful and functional from the outside. Internally, however, they may be reaching a point where the way they have been living no longer feels sustainable, meaningful or satisfying. You don’t need to think of yourself as traumatised, broken or mentally unwell. ## What people come to me with - [Trauma and its lasting effectsWhat happened may be recent or long ago, and it may still shape how you feel, react and relate to other people.Trauma and Its Lasting Effects](https://reneeshearing.com/trauma-therapy) - [Anxiety, panic and persistent fearAnxiety can sit in the background of every day or arrive suddenly as panic, and it can make ordinary life feel unsafe.Anxiety, Panic and Persistent Fear](https://reneeshearing.com/anxiety-and-panic) - [Hypervigilance and feeling constantly on edgePart of you may stay braced for danger even when you know you are safe.Trauma and Hypervigilance](https://reneeshearing.com/trauma-and-hypervigilance) - [Emotional distress and feeling unable to copeLife may feel like too much right now, and part of you may want to withdraw, escape or hide.Feeling Unable to Cope](https://reneeshearing.com/feeling-unable-to-cope) - [Burnout, chronic stress and exhaustionYou may have been holding everything together for a long time and now feel exhausted in body and mind.Burnout and Over-Responsibility](https://reneeshearing.com/burnout-and-over-responsibility) - [Repeating responses and deeper changeYou may be functioning well and understand yourself, yet find the same responses and relationships returning.Recurring Relationship Dynamics](https://reneeshearing.com/recurring-relationship-dynamics) ## Other situations I work with You may be thinking things such as: - [“My life works, but the way I’m living it doesn’t.” “I’ve become very good at functioning, but I’m tired of functioning this way.” Therapy for High-Functioning Adults](https://reneeshearing.com/therapy-for-high-functioning-adults) - [“I understand why I do this, so why am I still doing it?” When Understanding Isn’t Enough](https://reneeshearing.com/when-understanding-isnt-enough) - [“I’ve had therapy before. I know my history. I don’t want to spend another year talking about it.” “I know what happened to me. I want help changing what is still happening because of it.” After Years of Therapy](https://reneeshearing.com/after-years-of-therapy) - [“Everyone thinks I’m amazing. Everyone thinks I’m strong. Everyone depends on me. But inside, I feel as though I’m collapsing.” “I don’t know how to stop being the person everybody needs, and I don’t know how to begin prioritising myself.” The One Everyone Relies On](https://reneeshearing.com/the-one-everyone-relies-on) - [“My body feels permanently stressed and I know the way I’m living may be contributing.” “I feel like my body is telling me that I cannot continue at this pace.” Stress and the Body](https://reneeshearing.com/stress-and-the-body) - [“Everything looks fine, so why do I feel empty, stuck or disconnected?” “I’ve achieved what I was supposed to achieve. Why does it no longer feel meaningful?” “Something in my life needs to change, but I don’t yet know what.” Meaning and Life Transitions](https://reneeshearing.com/meaning-and-life-transitions) - [Do you work with people internationally and online? Working With Me Online](https://reneeshearing.com/working-with-me-online) ## Who do you work best with? I work particularly well with people who are curious about themselves and willing to look honestly at what is happening. My work may particularly suit people who have insight but feel that insight alone has not produced enough change. Many people I work with have already talked extensively about their childhood, relationships or trauma. They may be saying: **“I know the story. I want to work with what is still running underneath it.”** I tend to work best with people who are open to exploring beyond cognition alone and interested in understanding themselves as complex human beings rather than as a diagnosis or collection of problems. ## Areas of work My work may be relevant to people experiencing: - chronic stress and burnout - high-functioning anxiety - anxiety, panic attacks and persistent fear - emotional distress and feeling unable to cope - over-functioning and over-responsibility - recurring relational or behavioural dynamics - relationship difficulties - loss of self within relationships or responsibilities - identity change - major life transitions - midlife questions - grief and bereavement - trauma and complex or developmental trauma - hypervigilance, feeling constantly “on” and other ongoing trauma responses - childhood and family-of-origin dynamics - intergenerational and systemic family patterns - nervous-system dysregulation - emotional exhaustion - perfectionism and relentless self-demand - difficulty switching off - loss of vitality - loss of meaning or purpose - existential questioning - feeling stuck despite considerable insight - exhaustion, digestive difficulties, persistent pain, and other physical symptoms that are difficult to explain medically or that have been identified as potentially stress-related ## Clinical experience Over the course of my career I have worked with people experiencing trauma and PTSD, anxiety, depression, OCD, eating disorders, grief, burnout, addiction, relationship difficulties, major life transitions, stress-related difficulties and other complex psychological presentations. I have substantial experience with eating disorders and disordered eating. I work primarily with adults and young adults. ## Read more - [Is This Work For You?](https://reneeshearing.com/is-this-work-for-you) - [When Understanding Isn’t Enough](https://reneeshearing.com/when-understanding-isnt-enough) - [FAQ](https://reneeshearing.com/faq)