Aarushi Shah

Aarushi is a psychodynamic counsellor and psychotherapist who works with adults and young people experiencing a range of emotional and psychological difficulties. She has experience working within The Awareness Centre NHS Talking Therapy Services in  Lambeth; supporting clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, identity concerns, life transitions, childhood trauma, and the effects of abuse. Her psychodynamic approach focuses on understanding how early relationships and life experiences can continue to shape the ways we think, feel, and connect with others. Aarushi is committed to providing a thoughtful, compassionate, and professional therapeutic space where clients can explore their experiences and develop greater self-understanding.

Aarushi believes that therapy begins by meeting each person where they are, rather than expecting them to fit a single idea of what healing, communication, or personal growth should look like. She recognises that culture, family, language, migration, and community all shape how we experience ourselves and relate to others, and she is mindful not to impose one standard of agency, freedom, or communication across every cultural context. Aarushi values the richness of linguistic and cultural nuances and offers therapy in English, Hindi, and Gujarati, recognising that emotions are often experienced and expressed differently across languages. She aims to create a warm, thoughtful, and non-judgemental space where clients can bring every part of themselves, including aspects that may feel contradictory, conflicted, or difficult to understand. Through collaborative exploration, she supports clients in developing greater self-acceptance and finding new ways of relating to themselves and others.

Aarushi has experience working with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, clients navigating complex family relationships, neurodivergence, and those struggling with shame, guilt, loneliness, and the lasting impact of difficult life experiences. Alongside her clinical work, she has a particular interest in intercultural psychotherapy and the emotional experiences of the South Asian diaspora. Aarushi explores childhood experiences, family relationships, and romantic connections to understand patterns that may be contributing to present difficulties, while also recognising that people are not defined by their past. She believes therapy is a collaborative process of making sense of experience, discovering new possibilities in the present, and supporting people to cultivate greater self-understanding, self-acceptance, and the freedom to live in a way that feels authentic to them.