Richard Askew

—About therapy— We all need to be seen, heard and understood. I offer a non-judgmental space where you can express yourself freely, make sense of the things that are getting in your way, and begin to bring about meaningful change. My approach is integrative, drawing upon Person-Centred Therapy, Gestalt Therapy and Transactional Analysis, together with Existential Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Buddhist Psychology, and ideas from a wide range of related fields. Alongside this, I adopt a pluralistic perspective. Since no single approach can fully meet every person’s needs, I adapt my approach flexibly to respond to what you need, when you need it, rather than imposing rigid agendas or predetermined interventions. For instance, I might draw upon Buddhist psychology to explore patterns of emotional reactivity, lean into more existential approaches to explore questions of meaning and purpose, or draw upon narrative approaches to explore—and perhaps rewrite—the personal, familial and cultural stories that help to shape and define us. This allows for a responsive approach that is fundamentally guided by your goals, values and wishes. Above all, I respect your autonomy and see you as a person, not a bundle of problems. —Inclusion and difference— Who we are, and the social and cultural worlds we live in, can have a profound effect on how we experience ourselves and our relationships with others. Experiences of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, class prejudice, cultural or religious marginalisation, and the pressures experienced by neurodivergent people can all contribute to psychological distress. I therefore try to understand the difficulties you bring to therapy in the context of your life rather than assuming that the problem simply lies within you. I aim to practise with openness and curiosity about identity, background, culture, relationships and different ways of experiencing the world. I will not presume to understand every aspect of your experience, and I may not always get everything right, but difference and inequality are things we can talk about openly whenever they matter to you. —Individual therapy— If you’re new to therapy, it can sometimes feel like a daunting prospect, but it’s also perfectly recognisable. It might be a different kind of conversation, but in many respects it’s just like any conversation you’ve ever had. We sit together and talk, taking turns, back and forth. You share your concerns and we explore different ways of making sense of things together. Therapy is collaborative, so we spend our time figuring things out together. Our conversations might focus on how you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships with other people, or your sense of place in the world. The focus may shift from the past to the present, from significant life events to longstanding issues, and between difficult emotions, unhelpful beliefs and more general challenges in engaging with life. Our aim is to cultivate greater awareness and understanding so you can then make meaningful changes in your life—changes that ultimately come about through what you do with that understanding. —Couples counselling— Relationships can be deeply rewarding, but we can be left feeling disappointed, guilty, rejected or lonely when there are problems. Couples counselling offers an opportunity to explore the difficulties in your relationship and understand the breaches that have developed between you. We’ll explore how you communicate and interact with each other, identify the issues that drive your conflicts, and make sense of how you’ve arrived where you are today. This can help you focus on the changes you’ll need to make to re-establish trust and create a new way of living together. At the heart of my approach to couples counselling is a commitment to offer you both impartial support. Together, we can explore and work through the conflicts that have arisen between you by improving communication, exploring how affection and connection might be restored, and cultivating the skills you’ll need to identify and assert your needs, wants and wishes more effectively. Perhaps our aim is to bring you closer together, but couples counselling can also help us bring our relationships to an amicable end if and when they’ve run their course. —Next steps— To get things started, call me on 07565 353389 for an informal introductory chat or send me an email enquiry through this site. “Let the past hold on to itself and let the present move forward into the future.” — Douglas Adams

I’ve been practising as a therapist since 2009 and have an established practice in central Hove, alongside offering online therapy. Alongside my clinical practice, I’ve taught on a counselling diploma course, teaching counselling theory and skills and facilitating personal development groups. I’ve also worked as a counsellor with community-based organisations supporting disabled people, families affected by substance misuse, and young people who have experienced unsettled lives. I also lead an interdisciplinary research programme exploring wellbeing, agency and transformative change, drawing upon psychology, cognitive science, philosophy and related fields. This research forms the basis of a book I’m currently writing and continues to inform the way I think about therapeutic change and human flourishing.