Ashleigh West
Education and Experience
Before training to become a counsellor, I was a barber for more than ten years. My favourite part of the job was building relationships with a diverse range of clients and being a listening ear to their stories. It was one of the few opportunities men had to talk about themselves and their troubles and to connect with someone impartial to support them through navigating their lives. Unfortunately for me, I disliked cutting hair, so this spurred me on to find a new career where I could keep these aspects of the role.
I studied for four years at South Essex College to qualify as a person-centred counsellor and then completed a one year level 5 diploma studying attachment-based psychotherapy with Optima Health Services. I gained experience working as a school counsellor for children and young people; counselling those who are aged between 11-18, working within an agency setting offering counselling to adults between 18-80, and working for a company offering telephone and Zoom counselling sessions for their staff. I now have more than 1000 hours of experience as a therapist and run my own private practice.
I volunteered for Shout Crisis Text Line during Covid between 2019-2020. I completed their training and dedicated over 200 hours to supporting those in need of urgent support and care.
I have strong values when it comes to working ethically and I ensure your safety is my top priority throughout our work together. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and I work following the BACP ethical framework. I am committed to offering a safe, professional service within their standards of good practice.


Qualifications
Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
BACP Certificate of Proficiency
CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Attachment-Based Psychotherapy