Carlie Machell-Kay

• Trauma and abuse
• Relationship issues
• Psychodynamic work

About Carlie

Carlie Machell-Kay works on stress, anxiety, relationship and trauma-related concerns using psychodynamic ideas to look at patterns from earlier relationships and how they show up now. She is registered with NCPS and has seven years' experience since qualifying as a therapist.

Carlie has a background in trauma work and relationship issues, and professional experience in women's mental wellbeing and domestic abuse settings. She also has personal experience of neurodiversity and brain injury, and says this informs her understanding of related difficulties.

In sessions she uses a psychodynamic perspective to examine repeated patterns of feeling and behaviour. She also draws on client-centred techniques to focus on what a person wants to change, and narrative work to help people reframe the stories they tell about themselves.

Her practice includes support for parenting and family-related stress, addictions, grief and bereavement, intimacy and sexual culture issues, anger and self-esteem. She also lists work with ADHD, chronic illness and caregiving stress among her areas of focus.

Carlie frames therapy as a collaborative process and aims to adapt the approach to the person's goals. She notes experience of both specialist domestic abuse services and broader community mental wellbeing roles, which shapes how she responds to trauma and relationship concerns.

Sessions are organised through a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time. International clients may be accepted, and sessions are offered in English.

How her therapeutic approaches work for online sessions

Carlie uses psychodynamic work to help people notice repeated patterns that come from earlier relationships and current life. This approach involves talking through recurring feelings and relationships to understand why certain reactions happen, which can help with relationship issues and long-standing emotional patterns.

She also uses client-centred techniques that focus on the person's goals and experience, offering room to set the pace and topics for each session. Narrative work is used to map and reframe the stories a person tells about themselves, which can be useful for issues like self-esteem, trauma and caregiving stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the first sessions. The counsellor will work with each person to decide which combination of psychodynamic, client-centred or narrative methods fits their needs and goals. This is a collaborative process that can change as therapy progresses.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around work and family life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Talk through practical arrangements with the counsellor when you schedule your first meeting to make sure sessions fit your routine.

Topics Carlie lists

• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Family conflicts
• Trauma and abuse
• Parenting issues
• Addictions
• Grief
• Intimacy-related issues
• Anger management
• Self-esteem
• Depression
• Coping with life changes
• Coaching
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Abandonment
• Adoption and foster care
• Aging and geriatric issues
• Attachment issues
• Autism and Asperger Syndrome
• Avoidant personality
• BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
• Blended family issues
• Body image
• Cancer
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Chronic pain, illness, and disability
• Co-morbidity
• Codependency
• Commitment issues
• Communication problems
• Control issues
• Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
• Dependent personality
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Emptiness
• Family of origin issues
• Family problems
• Fatherhood issues
• First responder issues
• Forgiveness
• Guilt and shame
• HIV and AIDS
• Hoarding
• Immigration issues
• Impulsivity
• Infidelity
• Intellectual disability
• Isolation and loneliness
• Jealousy
• Life purpose
• Men's issues
• Midlife crisis
• Money and financial issues
• Mood disorders
• Narcissism
• Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Paranoia
• Postpartum depression
• Post-traumatic stress
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Process addictions
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• Self-harm
• Self-love
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sexuality
• Quitting smoking or vaping
• Social anxiety and phobia
• Traumatic brain injury
• Women's issues
• Workplace issues
• Young adult issues

Ways of working

• Client-Centred Therapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Questions about Carlie

Does she work with anxiety and stress?

Yes. Her listed specialties include stress and anxiety and she uses psychodynamic and client-centred approaches to address these concerns.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She practises psychodynamic therapy and also uses client-centred and narrative approaches, with trauma-focused elements for people affected by past harm.

How long has she been practising?

She qualified as a therapist seven years ago and has worked with people for over 25 years in related roles.

Is she registered and where is she based?

She is registered with NCPS and is based in the United Kingdom.

Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?

International clients are accepted according to the biography; sessions are offered in English.

What session formats does she use?

The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the available formats before booking.

How much do sessions cost?

Costs vary with location; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I get started with her?

Use the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.