Carlie Machell-Kay, NCPS

Carlie Machell-Kay helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and relationship struggles. She also supports those dealing with parenting challenges, addiction, grief, intimacy issues, anger, low self-esteem and life transitions. Carlie is experienced with ADHD, compassion fatigue and a wide range of additional concerns listed by clients.

Carlie trained as a psychodynamic counsellor and uses that background to look at how past relationships shape current feelings and behaviours. She combines this with client-centred listening so people feel heard and can set the pace. Narrative and trauma-focused ideas are used when working through distressing events and reclaiming a sense of self.

Carlie draws on seven years as a practising therapist alongside many earlier years of related work. Her background includes roles in women’s mental wellbeing and work in domestic abuse settings. She also speaks from lived experience of neurodiversity and acquired brain injury, which informs her understanding of different recovery paths.

Sessions are tailored to each person. Carlie aims for clear, practical steps alongside quieter reflection when that is helpful. She is approachable and builds a working plan with the person in front of her rather than imposing a set method.

People can expect straightforward conversation about what matters most and gentle exploration of patterns that keep causing pain. The focus is on making small changes that add up, and on helping people feel more in control of everyday life.

Therapeutic approaches suited to online work

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and understanding a person's experience without judgment. It helps people feel accepted and decide what changes matter most in day-to-day life. Narrative Therapy works with the stories people tell about themselves, helping to separate a person from their problems and find new, more helpful ways to view difficult events.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs, and together they will choose which methods to try. This collaborative process lets the person steer the pace and the focus as understanding grows.

Online sessions use video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to offer flexibility. Video is useful for more in-depth conversation and non-verbal cues. Phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is limited or a less visual check-in is preferred. Messaging and live chat allow shorter, frequent check-ins or written reflections between longer sessions, making therapy easier to fit into busy lives.