Michelle (Shelly) Cardona
Director, Reg MBACP
Counsellor & Therapist
Trauma Coach
Restorative Justice Facilitator
Eileen Whittaker
our Directors
Within HMP YOI Styal, Shelly co-manages the service, provides one-to-one counselling and delivers psychosocial/psychoeducational group work, focusing on the female client rather than the offending behaviour.
Currently an in-house therapist for a major UK & International EAP (Employee Assistance Programme), Shelly sees clients for face-to-face counselling and provides specialist telephone counselling, working to a SFT (solution focused therapy) model with a firm grounding in client-centred, humanistic approaches. Shelly is also a trauma coach, normalising reactions following critical incidents and individual trauma, supporting clients as they come-to-terms with their experiences.
Shelly was a NHS Drug and Alcohol counsellor for 4 years, delivering primarily one-to-one counselling and psychosocial interventions to adults experiencing opiate, stimulant and alcohol addiction and misuse. During this time Shelly developed an understanding and compassion for the devastating impact of individual addiction and subsequent relationship dynamics. Shelly has also been a counsellor for Mind, the leading mental health charity, working within the stepped-care model, supporting clients with a range of common mental health conditions and more complex presentations.
Having worked within the public, private and charity sectors, Shelly has extensive clinical & service management experience and is also a 2014 graduate fellow of the SSE (Lloyds TSB School of Social Entrepreneurs). She is also an EFT and laughter yoga practitioner.
Shelly’s professional interests include interpersonal and sexual violence, trauma focused approaches for PTSD, dual diagnosis & personality disorder
Shelly is currently completing her MSc in Psychological Trauma.
Room To Talk
Michelle (Shelly) Cardona
Eileen Whittaker
Director, Reg MBACP,
Supervisor, Safeguarding Lead
Counsellor & Therapist
Within HMP YOI Styal, Eileen manages the service, provides supervision, one-to-one counselling, delivers group psychosocial interventions and offers a range of complimentary therapies.
Eileen is passionate about life and the human condition with a range of experience, from delivering workshops and counselling interventions in GP surgeries, prisons and schools. With a background in holistic humanistic approaches, she initially trained and worked person/child centred in various establishments. She has delivered programs to families living with substance misuse, and trained in delivering group work to vulnerable individuals. Eileen is also a service manager and has been responsible for setting up multiple, successful therapeutic projects.
Since 2007 Eileen has worked with a wide range of individuals and issues including depression, stress and anxiety, self-esteem, loss and bereavement, relationships, lack of purpose and meaning, change, redundancy, personal crisis, personal development and addiction. Eileen has worked in private practice since 2009, both short and long term.
Eileen is also a certified NLP and EFT performance coach with the Human Performance Institute and a qualified laughter yoga practitioner.
She is a Reiki Master and has practiced since 2000.
Eileen’s professional interests include adult survivors of CSE, interpersonal abuse and psychopathy.
Eileen begins additional supervision qualifications in September.
Room To Talk, Room To Grow.
Success Stories
“Room To Talk is an amazing thing with wonderful counsellors. My counsellor has been there for me even when I tried to push her away. I’ve managed to deal with things I never thought I could and it’s because of *** I owe her so much, in fact I think I owe her my life. I believe it’s because of my counselling that I’m leaving prison the girl that I am. I no longer want to reoffend and I want to do something better. I’m so thankful for all you’ve done for me”.
“Seeing my counsellor has stopped me from cutting up, she helped me to think about why I did it and didn’t judge me, like others have. Thank you for all you’ve done for me, you’re cool!”
“My counselling has enabled me to talk about my feelings that I thought I’d never have the strength to do. I wasn’t able to talk about my bereavement, now I can and I’ve been able to tell my family how I feel. Thank you for all your help”.