Ash Denscombe

Hi! My name’s Ash, and I focus on working with LGBTQ+ clients in Brighton and online. I’m trans and non-binary (though I’d usually just call myself Queer), and trained to become a counsellor in part because of the lack of counsellors who had lived experience of LGBTQ+ issues.

 

I’ve been counselling for two years now. The vast majority of my clients have identified as LGBTQ+, and many also identify as various flavours of neurodivergent. Before that, I worked in addiction services, and I’m strongly aware of the common overlap between sex & gender identity and substance misuse.

 

I’ve trained as a Humanistic counsellor, a school of talking therapy with roots in existentialist philosophy, counter-culture and the importance of viewing each client as the expert of their own experiences. This fits really well with queer & non-mainstream ways of living, and accepts that what the client wants should be paramount, rather than some predefined idea of what ‘wellness’ should look like (and the assumption that anyone who doesn’t fit in this box is ill or wrong). That means my work focuses on your identity and way of understanding the world. Rather than me presenting you with pre-made solutions, my aim is to help you increase your own autonomy and self-understanding, and creatively explore how you think, feel, and react to the world. In sessions we’ll focus on exploring how you interpret the world (and your place in it), what is and isn’t working for you. By shining a light on the habitual ways we’ve come to understand the world, we open them up to consideration and change, allowing you to grow and adapt to the challenges in your life, and be more prepared for future difficulties.

I’m experienced in working with issues of anxiety and depression, loneliness, personal identity, gender, neurodivergence, and addiction.

I offer a free 30-minute consultation via Zoom.

Sessions cost £55.

You can contact me at ash@spiralpaths.co.uk