Ashu

About

Hi, I'm Ashu! The person you've been looking for. Before we go any further... yes, I only have one name (thanks, dad 🙄).

💬 What it's like to work with me
Think less "lie on a couch and talk about your childhood" (I mean, if you want to do that, why not?) and more "let's figure this out and actually do something about it."
Something I hated in my own journey was all talk, no walk. I'd be left marinating in the awareness of WHY I am the way I am, with nothing to DO about it. So that's why we do things differently in my space.
Sure, this is your safe space to share anything on your mind, but we'll also try things, practise things, and build a plan you can actually use. I'm not going to leave you floating in your trauma without any tools.

🔦 What we can explore together
Together we might dig into the patterns you keep repeating (especially if you feel you're being a bit too much like your mom 🙃). We get into the messy family stuff and I'm big on things like journaling and shadow work (you know, those parts of yourself you've been hiding in the basement). If past trauma is part of your story, we'll go there when you're ready, and not a minute before.
You don't need a label, and you don't need to have it all figured out. We do that together.

🪑 Who I work with
I split my week between schools, where I work with students, and adults who look like they have it all together. You know the type (maybe you are the type): always saying yes when you mean no, looking after everyone else, quietly running on empty. Or maybe life threw your five-year plan out the window and you're still picking up the pieces.
If that sounds like you, hi. Pull up a chair.
I especially love working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds, first- and second-generation immigrants, and anyone caught between two (or more) worlds.

🎨 My approach
I'm eclectic, which is a fancy way of saying I don't hand everyone the same worksheet. I mix and match based on what you need, and I always start with your strengths. I'm here to be your biggest cheerleader, because we all know we could use one.
My toolbox:
• CBT (spotting the thoughts that keep you stuck and learning to shift them)
• DBT (practical tools for big emotions, stress and relationships)
• Art (drawing and creating when words aren't enough)
• Somatic work (tuning in to what your body is holding onto)
• Plus a bunch more (person-centred, narrative, solution-focused and play-based work, depending on what suits you)
So some sessions we're drawing. Some we're making a plan. And sometimes it's a full cry sesh. All of it counts.

What a first session looks like

Your first session is a getting-to-know-you chat, not an interrogation. We’ll cover how this works and confidentiality, then I’ll ask what’s brought you here and what you’d like to get out of it. You don’t have to tell me everything on day one. We’ll pick one or two things to start with, and maybe you’ll leave with a small tool to try before next time. No pressure, go at your pace.

In Ashu's own words.

Works with

Approach

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
• Coaching
• Somatic approaches

Qualifications

Master of Counselling