Carlie Machell-Kay, NCPS

Carlie Machell-Kay is a psychodynamic counsellor with a focus on trauma and relationship concerns. She offers a straightforward, warm approach and aims to help people make sense of difficult feelings. Her work can be useful for stress, anxiety, depression, grief, parenting strains, and issues around self-esteem and intimacy.

Carlie explains how past relationships shape current thoughts, feelings and actions. She uses psychodynamic ideas to gently trace patterns that feel stuck. Sessions are shaped around each person’s needs and paced to what feels manageable.

She also draws on client-centred work to keep the conversation focused on the person in front of her. Narrative therapy ideas help people reframe life stories that feel limiting or painful. Trauma-focused practices are used when the impacts of past harm need careful attention.

Carlie has seven years of practice as a qualified therapist and holds the NCPS credential. Before qualifying she has over two decades of experience working in roles that support wellbeing, including work in women’s mental wellbeing and domestic abuse settings. She also shares that she has personal experience of neurodiversity and brain injury, which informs her empathy and understanding.

Her style is approachable and adaptable. Sessions are organised around what the individual wants to address, and she speaks plainly about options so people can choose what feels right for them.

How her therapeutic approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person. The therapist follows the client’s lead, reflecting feelings and priorities to help people feel heard and understood. This can help with anxiety, stress and self-esteem issues.

Narrative Therapy looks at the stories people tell about their lives. The counsellor helps identify unhelpful storylines and explore alternative ways of seeing events and relationships. This approach can be useful for reframing experiences like grief, relationship conflict or identity questions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and suggest which methods might suit a person best. Decisions about pace and focus are made collaboratively so the work fits the individual’s needs.

Session practicalities should be confirmed before booking because formats were not specified in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions around everyday life, such as shorter check-ins during a work break or saving travel time. It also allows people to meet from different locations, which can help those living abroad or with complex schedules. The emphasis is on making therapy manageable and practical while working towards the client’s goals.