About me
Making the first step and looking for a counsellor to work with can feel scary and overwhelming. It’s hard to know what to say or what to expect, especially if you have not had counselling before.
Building a safe and trusting relationship with your counsellor is important. It can take time to do this, but it is important that you feel comfortable enough with them in the beginning to start on that journey. I offer a safe space, where you will be truly listened to without expectation or judgement. This allows my clients to feel comfortable in being open and honest so that they can get the most out of their sessions.
Counselling sessions are a time for you. They are to be used in a way that you feel will be helpful. This means that you decide what you want to explore during each session. It is an opportunity for you to look at past events and how they are impacting the present, explore thoughts and emotions or find new coping strategies.
My sessions are tailored to each client, this means that they look different for everyone. Being in counselling, there are twists and turns along the way and no two sessions are the same. There may be times where sessions may feel challenging and others where you feel like you’re moving forwards in a way you did not expect and that the dots are starting to join together.
How I work
It is my role to support you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and develop your ability to make the changes that you want to make. Together, we will explore your thoughts and feelings at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
As an Integrative Counsellor and Psychotherapist, the way that I work combines counselling skills and personal characteristics with theory and professional experience. As my practice is tailored to each client’s individual needs, the theories and methods drawn on vary, however may include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic, Person Centred, Humanistic and Existential Therapies. My practice is inclusive of all sexualities and gender identities.
I am BACP registered, which means my work is underpinned by ethical guidelines for practice.
What to expect
My approach is relaxed, authentic and empathic, offering safety for you to explore what brings you to therapy, this might include anxiety, depression, low self-esteem or self-confidence, bereavement, work-related stress, loneliness, family issues or relationships. Talking through your experiences in a confidential space without judgement or opinion can be the first step into developing insight into yourself and what you need to move forward. Working together, we can recognise and find meaning in patterns that are useful and those that are not, explore emotions, understand values and explore the meaning of past experiences and how they can inform the present.
Couples or Relationship Therapy
The way I approach working with relationships aligns with my individual therapy style, however, having specific training in this area allows me to open this up to the dynamics of relationships. I offer a safe space for honest conversations, where each person can be heard and balance can be found without taking sides.
Couples or relationship therapy can help to work through a wide range of issues such as communication, coping with change, deepening connection, rebuilding trust or navigating separation. Your relationship does not have to be in crisis to seek therapy, but can be a way of coming together to make positive changes to your relationship.
My work is inclusive of all relationship styles and structures including ethically non-monogamous and LGBTQ+ relationships.
Please feel free to email me with any questions you might have about the process or how I work at ashleighgardnercounselling@gmail.com
*If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, please check your junk/spam*
Training, qualifications & experience
MA Integrative Counselling – Leeds Beckett University
Certificate in Intimate Partner Therapy - Contemporary Institute of Clinical Sexology
Level 3 Counselling Skills – Leeds City College
BA (Hons) Social Work – University of Leeds
I am committed to ongoing continued professional development and regularly attend training to compliment and enhance my existing knowledge and skills.
Other recent trainings include:
Working Within the CPS Pre-Trail Therapy Guidelines
Generalised Anxiety Disorder: A Plague of the Heart and Mind
Polyvagal Theory: Fundamentals for Effective Trauma Work
Training for Bereavement Counselling: The Nature of Grief
Training for Bereavement Counselling: Attachment Theory
Chronic Illness and Bereavement as Enduring Traumas
Living Well and Dying Well: Counselling Older People
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). This means that I follow their high standards of ethical guidelines in my practice to make sure that I am practicing safely, in the best interests of my clients and under regular supervision.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Couples and Intimate Partner Relationships from January 2026
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£60.00 - £85.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Individual fees:
£60 - 8am - 6pm
£65 - from 6pm (online only)
Couples Fees:
£80 8am - 6pm
£85 from 6pm (online only)
I offer weekly or fortnightly sessions which last for 50 minutes, offered both at my private practice in Pudsey, easily accessible from Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield or online.
I work with flexibility to accommodate shift work.
I offer a free 15 minute consultation available before booking your first session. This allows us to get to know each other and explore how we would work together. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you might have about the process.
Please contact me to discuss concession fees.
When I work
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Further information
- My comfortable and calming therapy room is located in Pudsey, Leeds (postcode LS28 6AN). Tucked away in a discreet location with private, off-street parking. There are good transport links, making it easily accessible from areas of Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield. Full address and further details will be sent on booking.
- More information about the way I work and what to expect can be found at my website www.ashleighgardnercounselling.co.uk or feel free to email any questions to ashleighgardnercounselling@gmail.com
- *If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, please check your junk/spam*
