Carlie Machell-Kay

Carlie Machell-Kay is a counsellor who helps people struggling with anger, trauma, relationship strain and anxiety. She works with clients on stress, self-esteem, grief, addiction and parenting concerns. Carlie uses a straightforward, supportive style and aims to make therapy feel usable in everyday life.

Carlie trained as a psychodynamic counsellor and holds NCPS. She qualified seven years ago and has worked in mental health for over 25 years. Much of her background is in women's wellbeing and domestic abuse settings, so she is familiar with the effects of those experiences.

In sessions she explores how past relationships shape current feelings and behaviour. That means looking at patterns that repeat and naming how old ways of coping are working now. She adapts the pace to what each person needs and focuses on practical, manageable steps between meetings.

Carlie also brings experience with trauma and its impacts, and she is open about having personal experience of neurodiversity and brain injury. This informs her empathy for people living with those challenges and for family members supporting them.

Her approach blends client-centred listening with psychodynamic thinking and narrative work. Therapy is collaborative - she helps people tell their story, spot unhelpful patterns, and try new responses. The aim is clearer thinking, calmer reactions, and better day-to-day coping.

Approaches that shape online work and goals

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and building a trusting relationship. It helps people feel heard and decide the changes they want to make. Narrative Therapy helps people separate themselves from their problems by retelling and reframing life stories, which can reduce shame and open up new choices. Psychodynamic Therapy looks at how past relationships influence current feelings and behaviour, which can uncover repeating patterns that feed anger or anxiety.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to identify what fits a client's needs and goals, and can adjust methods over time as those needs change. People often try a few ways of working before settling on what helps most.

The original profile did not list specific session formats, so please confirm available online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around work and family life, cut out travel time, and allow check-ins from different locations. Some formats also let people use audio rather than video when that suits them, or have shorter sessions for quick support between longer appointments. These practical benefits help therapy fit into everyday routines without promising a particular service.