Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar
Trauma Informed Creative Consultant
Hey … so glad you found me. I’m Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar – a neurodivergent trauma and relationship therapist, and a specialist in nervous system regulation, also known as The Situationship Expert.
Beyond the therapy room – I collaborate and consult with international writers, filmmakers, artists, and theatre-makers to bring emotionally honest stories to life. You won’t find me in front of the camera so much – I work best behind the scenes.
I guide creative teams in building trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming, and culturally sensitive narratives. This includes supporting projects that explore sensitive and stigmatised topics such as shame, addiction, harm OCD, suicide, and emotional transformation – where care, accuracy, and compassion are essential.
“Because real life is the most powerful story we have”
It’s found in the everyday moments, the buried emotions, the silences between words – these are the things that shape us. I believe storytelling can be a form of healing. Whether scripted or unscripted, film, photo, or doodle – stories help us feel seen. In whatever form they take, they remind us we’re not alone.
When told with care, stories have the power to shift how we see each other, how we understand ourselves, and how we connect.
“At the heart of everything I do is connection”
We are all wired for it – whether through words, imagery, movement, silence, or story. Even when we’re struggling, protecting, or pulling away, there’s a part of us that’s still seeking safety in others.
Understanding this is key – not just in therapy, but in how we live, love, parent, and create.
If your project explores human behaviour, mental health, or identity – I’d love to find ways we can collaborate. Please do get in touch.
Ways We Can Work Together:
Writers, directors & screenwriters – Shape characters and storylines grounded in emotional truth and sensitive topics, including trauma, neurodivergence, grief, and identity
On-set emotional safety & crisis support – Support cast and crew in staying steady, connected, and creatively present. I offer trauma-informed guidance during emotionally intense scenes or unexpected disruptions, along with practical regulation tools that help people feel safe, seen, and able to do their best work – without burning out.
Visual artists & illustrators – Explore trauma-informed, neurodivergent-inclusive artwork, visual storytelling, and therapeutic exhibition design
Sound designers, composers & musicians – Create soundscapes and music that reflect nervous system states, emotional depth, and sensory experience
Lyricists & songwriters – Craft lyrics that hold emotional nuance, lived experience, and healing narratives
Game developers & interactive storytellers – Co-design immersive, emotionally attuned experiences informed by nervous system science and neurodivergent insight
Advertising & creative agencies – Consult on inclusive, trauma-aware campaigns and messaging that foster connection and emotional resonance
Ballet & movement-based productions – Support emotional arc development, embodiment, and nervous system-informed choreography -especially in stories rooted in identity or trauma
Podcast hosts & journalists – Offer expert commentary or co-create shame-free, insightful conversations around mental health, trauma, identity, and connection
Museums, galleries & public engagement teams – Bring therapeutic and sensory-informed depth to installations, community spaces, and participatory events
Fashion designers, stylists & costume teams – Consult on how clothing, fabric, and design can support or challenge sensory needs and identity expression
Fashion shows & theatre productions – Guide character embodiment, emotional arc development, and sensory-friendly practices for performers and audiences
Education & publishing – Co-create accessible, emotionally literate content that honours neurodivergent perspectives and trauma-informed pedagogy
Grief, loss & transformation projects – Offer lived and clinical insight into bereavement, identity shifts, and creative healing through storytelling or design
If your project explores human behaviour, mental health, identity – or the complexity of being human – let’s connect. I’d love to learn more about your project.
My Therapeutic Work
In my therapeutic work, I support individuals and couples, particularly those who are neurodivergent or navigating high-masking, complex identities, multifaith or cross-cultural relationships.
My focus is where emotional wellbeing, identity, and connection meet – supporting people understand themselves not just through what they think, but through how their bodies and nervous systems respond to the world around them.
I bring both lived and clinical insight to this work. I’m AUDHD, dyslexic, and have dyspraxia – and I’ve lived and worked within multifaith and mixed heritage communities. So I don’t just understand complexity – I live and breathe it.
I’m also the creator of several therapeutic resources, including:
✨ The Glad We Talked™ Programs
✨ The Empty Chair Cards
✨ The Homestead Model™
✨ Polyvagal Teen®
✨ The Angry Tent® & The Anxiety Tent®
✨ Talky Talk Cards
✨ and The Hearts Whisper®.
If you’re looking for creative, neurodivergent-informed support – whether in therapy or on a project – get in touch. I’d love to work with you.
