Kate Ashley

I don't currently have availability for new clients - get in touch if you would like to join my waitlist.

Therapy can support you to understand yourself better, to explore new perspectives and practice compassion for yourself and others.

If you’re feeling stuck and want to make changes or to understand yourself better, I can help.

I believe that the ways we act in the present day have their origins in our past: that our behaviour makes sense even if we can sometimes find those reactions frustrating or confusing. Therapy can help open up our ability to choose how to respond to challenging situations or people.

I also incorporate elements of different counselling theories based on what might be most helpful to you. Every person is unique and works best in different ways. This might include noticing what it’s like to be with me in the therapy room itself, and exploring the feelings that come up from observing this.

We can notice that parts of ourselves have different agendas which can show up in therapy: bits of you that want to share, and others that feel defensive or worried about being vulnerable. I accept all parts of you and we can work together to find what feels right for you from session to session.

My approach includes weaving different methods of expression together. It can be difficult to put painful experiences into words for the first time, or to share that with another person. As well as talking, I might invite you to use creative materials to express yourself.  

I work with you to make sure sessions are useful and work best for you. I operate from a social justice and trauma informed approach, and am trained in psychodynamic, person centred and gestalt modalities.

What I can help with • Anxiety • Depression • Confidence and self-worth • Sexuality • Gender • CPTSD • Neurodiversity • Relationship difficulties • Estrangement

I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation to see if we’d be a good fit and if you’d like to book in a first session. Ongoing sessions are face to face, last 50 minutes and are held weekly.

I work from Stokes Croft and Old Market in Bristol.

Before we meet, I will send you a copy of my counselling contract, data protection notice and a personal information form, as well as directions to our room and confirmation of our session date and time.

I ask for you to fill out the short personal information form before we meet - this includes basic contact details, your pronouns, and whether you have accessed therapy before.

During our first session I will go over the contract and check if you have any questions. I will offer you water, tissues, fidget toys and a blanket. Then the rest of the time is up to you; we might discuss what brings you to therapy at this point, and any goals you have for sessions.

At the end of this first session I will ask if you'd like to sign the contract and become a regular client.