Confident Parenting

"Shawn has been an incredible support for my daughter navigating some challenging family circumstances (marriage separation). Shawn was referred to me by my daughter's school counselor, who suggested he would be equipped to support her throughout this difficult time.
Upon reaching out to Shawn, it became immediately clear that he was prepared to support us. Shawn exercises great listening skills, is very approachable (this can be a challenge for a teenager new to therapy), and he offers great advice. Shawn immediately built a strong rapport with my daughter, and the improvement in her overall mental wellbeing became quickly evident.
Shawn helped her navigate a difficult situation, provided guidance and recommendations that enabled her to feel comfortable voicing her thoughts and feelings, and most importantly provided her reassurance on outcomes. From a parent's perspective, Shawn is readily available and incredibly flexible, he keeps the lines of communication flowing (without crossing confidentiality barriers) and Shawn provided great support - not only for my daughter, but also for me as her parent. Although this situation was incredibly difficult, Shawn's guidance and reassurance provided me with confidence that my daughter and I would not only survive but thrive - and he was right. I am grateful for Shawn's support and involvement and would highly recommend his services!"

"I wish to formally acknowledge and commend the exceptional professional support provided by Mr. Shawn O'Grady over the past year during my bereavement following the tragic loss of my wife, who passed away at the age of 31 in late 2024 after a courageous battle with cancer. This experience has been profoundly life-altering, and the depth of my grief was, at times, overwhelming.
From the outset, Shawn demonstrated remarkable clinical expertise and a deeply empathetic approach, creating a therapeutic environment of safety, trust, and understanding. Within this space, I was able to engage with the full range of my emotional responses to loss—including grief, anger, guilt, and emotional numbness—without fear of judgment. He truly provided structured, evidence-informed guidance, offering tailored coping strategies, reflective exercises, and practical tools that supported both emotional processing and the management of daily life.
What distinguishes Shawn’s practice is the integration of holistic and person-centered care with professional rigor. His support not only facilitated the exploration of grief but also promoted resilience, self-compassion, and the gradual restoration of routine and meaning in life. Through his guidance, I was able to honour my wife’s memory while beginning to prioritize my own well-being, a balance I initially believed unattainable.
Over the course of our work together, Shawn has had a measurable and enduring impact on my ability to navigate bereavement. His dedication, insight, and professional integrity exemplify the highest standards of grief counseling practice. I am profoundly grateful for his support and confidently recommend him to individuals seeking compassionate, highly skilled, and evidence-informed guidance through the complexities of grief and loss."

"I have been made aware of the changes that have occurred with many of our families as a result of your work with them. I won’t pretend to know what you do but you have the ‘magic’ that some people have…. It is likely a combination of many things but I believe it starts with respect and a willingness to meet people where they are and then the trust and the work begins… Thank you so much!"

"In my role as a school leader, I’ve had the privilege of seeing Shawn support adolescents and their families through some incredibly challenging moments. What makes him truly special is his ability to connect with young people in a genuine, down-to-earth way - often meeting them outside of traditional settings and building trust where others cannot.
Families consistently share that his calm presence, honesty, and deep compassion helped them navigate situations that once felt overwhelming. Shawn has an exceptional ability to see through layers of pain and get to the heart of what a young person is going through. Quite simply, he is one of those rare people you meet, spend some time with and walk away thinking, “What an awesome guy.” I’ve seen his work change lives."

"My family has worked with Shawn for many years, and I cannot stress enough how important his work is. Shawn has helped our family with sports performance therapy, family counseling, parenting advice, and mental health support. Both of our sons have seen Shawn with their experiences and they trust him fully. As a parent with a child who struggles with mental health issues and suicide ideation, Shawn’s therapy and support have been invaluable. I highly recommend Shawn for any family support and therapy.."

"Shawn has to be one of the most approachable, down to earth therapists i've met. He comes with stacks of therapeutic experience and truly is a master of connection. He connected in a way that made both my son's feel relaxed, comfortable and willing to open up and engage in discussion around their concerns. Shawn provides the perfect balance of delivering therapy whilst being a good guy to spend some time with. Neither of my boys felt their sessions with Shawn were clinical and uncomfortable, instead they looked forward to their sessions and potential activities they'd be taking part in whilst developing skills and understanding themselves more.
Shawn came highly recommended by friends who work within child/ youth mental health services and he didn't disappoint. If you've got children who struggle to 'open up' and be vulnerable, Shawn will find a way to make it happen. "

"Shawn O'Grady has been working with my son for nearly five years. The length of time is not a reflection of ineffective treatment, rather a honest meeting of where my son is at and Shawn tailoring both treatment and the frequency of therapy to what my son needs at the time.
His trauma informed lens is evident by his keen ability to validate while nurturing skills which has allowed my son's resilience to blossom. I will add that I adopted my now nearly 15yo son 5 years ago. I add this to highlight Shawn's impressive ability to build rapport which is often an extra challenge with boys like my son who have experienced trauma and loss. This has allowed my son to increase his confidence, sense of self, raise his self-esteem, communicate in healthier and effective ways, and manage anger in progressively healthier ways.
While Shawn has primarily worked individually with my son we have benefited from his family centred care. He honours both privacy and trust while incorporating the strength that comes from family support.
Shawn has supported my son through various attachment stages, losses, peer related difficulties, navigating the journey towards individuation and as grief and scars of trauma are not linear my son and I look forward to ongoing therapeutic relationship with Shawn as he has built an unwavering level of trust and security with my son which is no small accomplishment. "

"Shawn connected with our son on a personal level and cared about his interests and emotional well being from day one. He provided practical strategies for our son to tackle emotional stressors and mental roadblocks. Shawn has helped our son build confidence in himself to face life’s daily challenges. We are grateful for Shawn’s trustworthy character & that he truly cares about our son."