What can you expect from your first individual session?
The first session is usually a chance for information gathering. After your first session, I will use the outcome of our discussion to begin building a structured plan identifying what areas to cover in each session. We will look at short-term and long-term goals and agree on key issues and topics that are important to you.
Continuing on from your first session, there will be an opportunity to build new skills and develop new strategies to cope. These skills and strategies will be tailored to your specific needs. Goals will be identified in your initial sessions, but they commonly may include learning skills for handling adversity, setting and achieving realistic goals and improving overall emotional wellbeing.
The sessions are a joint process that involve working together closely to build a positive therapeutic relationship. My approach is mainly person-centred in that you are acknowledged as the expert of your own experiences and will have the opportunity to drive the direction of topics if you wish. You will also be encouraged to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, experiences and assess what it is that you want from your sessions.
How many sessions will I need?
Individual sessions typically last 60 minutes either in person or virtually using zoom. The number of sessions needed will vary depending on your requirements and will largely depend on what you feel you need and how you feel you are progressing towards your goals.
How to establish healthy boundaries class
Available online upon request. Cost £15.
Boundaries are essential as they set the tone for how you allow others to talk and behave around you. Having clear boundaries ensures all of your relationships are mutually respectful. This class will help you identify the importance of boundaries, look at your current boundaries, what you want your boundaries to look like and how to implement them into your life.
Building resilience in an uncertain world online workshop
5-week block. Available online upon request. Cost £75.
Resilience is the psychological quality that allows you to come back from any adversity that life throws at you and be able to adapt, grow emotionally and continue to move towards your goals. This workshop will help you gain a better insight into what is going on internally for you, how you can adapt to adversity in your own way, promote positive relationships and help you identify your purpose. Each class will include a variety of meditation practices involving breath work, muscle relaxation or visualisation.
Workshops and training programs are available for workplaces dedicated to stress reduction, stress management, emotional intelligence, creativity, resilience and job satisfaction. A strong emphasis is put on building staff morale.
My ethos is grounded firmly in scientific research. Emotional intelligence is an essential area to nurture in your employees. Across a wide variety of roles, emotional intelligence is twice as important as solely cognitive ability. I offer specific training catered to the needs and requirements of your workplace.
Contact Ashley for further information.
Anxiety manifests differently in each of us. It serves an important function as it triggers our stress response and alerts us to danger, when we are pushing ourselves too hard or when we are feeling overwhelmed. Anxiety starts to become a problem when it is felt too intensely, too frequently or expressed in unhealthy ways. This can result in manifestations of unpleasant experiences such as racing thoughts and cycles of unhelpful thinking. We may experience an inability to tolerate uncertainty in our daily lives and feel an excessive need to control all the different variables as a result. Those coping with anxiety may find themselves feeling strong emotions such as anger, aggression, defensiveness or fear as an emotional response. It can even manifest physically in the form of feelings of panic, dread or a desire to flee from situations. These experiences can feel very physically real, some individuals may feel they are having heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, raised body temperature or increased heart rate. With the right support and awareness, you can learn tools to help you manage the symptoms and thought processes of anxiety in its many forms.
Trauma is an emotional response to an extremely distressing or difficult event(s) that can impact your sense of safety, sense of self or trigger severe long-term psychological and emotional issues. Trauma can lay dormant in people for a long time until they are ready to acknowledge and address how they have been affected. It is common for those who have experienced a traumatic event to have flashbacks, display fluctuating emotions or unpredictable behaviour, find it difficult to maintain healthy relationships and may adopt unhealthy coping strategies as a result of this adversity.
Although the effects of trauma can be profound, it is possible to develop healthy ways to cope and minimise their influence on day-to-day life.
Mindfulness is the practice of being in the present moment. Often, we are consumed by thoughts and experiences from the past or overthinking about what may happen in the future.
When we learn to be present, we can engage with our own inner experiences, our thoughts and feelings. It can also serve as a way to manage our anxiety or stress and cope with intrusive thoughts. It allows you to slow down, accept yourself without judgement and let go. Mindfulness is a useful tool that we can all learn to help us navigate and deal with the everyday stresses throughout our lives.
