Yulia Ashby

Background

I offer counselling for individuals and couples and am a registered counsellor and ACC Sensitive Claims provider. I work with people experiencing difficulties in the present as well as those wanting to understand and work through the impact of past experiences.

You may find yourself caught in recurring patterns, feeling stuck or disconnected, struggling with overwhelming emotions, or finding that ways of coping that once helped are no longer working. I work with concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties and low self-esteem, as well as significant life transitions such as migration, infertility and IVF treatment, parenting, separation and perimenopause.

Whatever brings you to counselling, I offer a warm, thoughtful and non-judgemental space where we can make sense of what is happening, understand yourself and your relationships more fully, and explore what might help.

Experience

My background is in counselling and psychology, and I have worked across a range of mental health settings, including crisis support and addiction services. This experience has involved working with people from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of mental health concerns and complex life experiences.

I hold a Master of Arts in Psychology and am currently undertaking post-qualifying training in adult psychotherapy with the Australia and New Zealand Association of Psychotherapy (ANZAP). My practice is supported by regular clinical supervision, ongoing professional development and reflective practice.

Counselling approach

I believe that every person’s story is unique, and there is no single therapeutic approach that suits everyone. I tailor therapy to your individual needs, drawing on psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive and mindfulness-based perspectives.

I am particularly interested in how early attachment experiences, significant relationships and life events can shape our sense of ourselves, our expectations of others and the patterns we develop over time. Understanding these patterns can help us make sense of why certain difficulties continue to recur, even when we recognise them or have tried to change them.

Alongside deeper exploration, I offer practical support when it is helpful, particularly for managing overwhelming emotions and difficult circumstances. I see therapy as a collaborative process in which we can consider both what is happening in your life and what emerges within the therapeutic relationship itself.

I also work with couples experiencing conflict, communication difficulties or disconnection, as well as those wanting to strengthen their relationship. Couples counselling can help partners communicate more openly, understand each other’s perspectives and find different ways of responding to one another.

I support clients with:

• trauma
• depression and anxiety
• difficulties with emotional regulation
• relationship difficulties
• low self-esteem
• migration and adjustment
• infertility and IVF
• parenting challenges
• significant life transitions, including perimenopause