Daniel O’Shaughnessy

My own experience of healing

I've chosen to be open about my own healing because I think it matters that people understand where my perspective comes from. I haven't only studied many of the processes I now explore in my work. I've had to engage with them in my own life.

For years, body dysmorphia and perfectionism were part of my experience. What appeared on the surface as concerns about appearance and control were connected to experiences and patterns I hadn't fully understood.

Through therapy, functional nutrition, breathwork and carefully held psychedelic integration, I began to recognise how my past had shaped my relationship with myself. I became more aware of the ways earlier experiences could influence my responses, how protective patterns had developed and why understanding something intellectually didn't necessarily mean I could change it.

Some of that work was uncomfortable. It involved questioning beliefs I'd held about myself, recognising behaviours that had once served a purpose and learning that change wasn't always something I could think my way through.

I share this deliberately, not because my experiences are a substitute for professional training or because I believe I've worked everything out. I think there's value in acknowledging that the person offering support has also encountered the uncertainty and difficulty that can accompany healing.

My professional knowledge and lived experience inform one another. Neither provides all the answers, but together they have changed how I understand the people I work with and the space I want to offer them.

How I work today

My approach considers the relationship between physiology, psychology, personal history and the nervous system.

Depending on the person and their needs, our work might involve functional medicine and nutrition, breathwork, somatic practices, energy healing or trauma-aware exploration. Sometimes the focus is physical health. At other times, it's understanding longstanding patterns, emotional experiences or the relationship someone has developed with themselves.

I don't assume that every physical symptom has an emotional explanation or that every difficulty can be addressed through changes to diet and lifestyle. I'm interested in understanding the person in front of me, including their circumstances, experiences and the different factors influencing their health.

My work continues to be informed by research and clinical practice, alongside an openness to philosophical, experiential and spiritual perspectives on healing. I'm interested in where these different ways of understanding ourselves meet, while recognising that they don't all operate within the same framework of evidence.

A commitment to queer health

Queer health has been an important part of my writing and public work. As a gay man, I've been particularly interested in how shame, identity, belonging, body image and social expectations influence health and how these experiences are often overlooked in conventional wellness conversations.

That commitment led to my first book, Naked Nutrition, which was subsequently expanded and revised as The Queer Guide to Nutrition & Lifestyle, and my second book, Letting Go of Perfect: A Gay Man's Guide to Healing from Body Dysmorphia.

Both books reflect my desire to bring greater understanding and nuance to subjects that deserve more attention. This remains an important part of my work and writing, alongside my wider interests in health, psychology and healing.

Experience and training

• More than fifteen years of clinical experience

• Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner (IFMCP)

• Professional background in drug and alcohol counselling

• Postgraduate training in trauma, psychedelics and integrative mental health

• More than 400 hours of breathwork facilitator training

• Training in energy healing and shamanic-informed approaches

• Author of The Queer Guide to Nutrition & Lifestyle and Letting Go of Perfect

Today, I work privately with individuals and with organisations, bringing these different perspectives into conversations about health, healing and the experiences that shape us.