Training & Therapeutic Services that promotes wellness, change and being connected to self and others
Our system (brain and body) are developed from the interaction between us and others and with the world - it doesn’t stop developing. Our brains and nervous system have an extraordinary ability to regenerate and re-wire and this is very healing. Trauma leaves an imprint and the therapy schools I’ve learned can help your system change that imprint. I focus my learning on my clients, what they bring
I learn more about, I retrain and up-skill whenever possible. I’m Alex Carling and I'm a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor. I work with individuals and groups, face-to-face and online, in a range of settings. Here are the areas I’m particularly equipped for:
* general mental health
* trauma - the complex and experiences where you may not be sure if it is trauma
* abuse - individual instances, familiar and systemic (wide spread)
* attachment - including adoption (Certified Adoption Support Counsellor)
* parenting - helping you understand and parent children in your care
* neuro-divergence - supported by training and a neuro-divergent supervisor
I have a broad training catalogue developed with the aim of supporting you as a whole - brain, mind and body.
24/03/2026
Taken from Black Liturgies by
What can you take from this?
The loudest part for me is 'Of bodies, these holy beautiful bodies, that are working a thousand unseen miracles...'
I am in awe of our bodies.
20/03/2026
*may be triggering*
Carolyn Spring is a fabulous teacher, and I'm forever grateful for the opportunity I had to be trained by her some years ago.
I'm sharing this to highlight what can be meant by the word Trauma. The word has arguably become diluted in society and by therapists too; some assume working with trauma is like other symptoms and presentations, but this is not always the case. As Carolyn shares in both her informed and vulnerable way; it's important that you check out your therapist's training if you want to work around trauma.
It's OK to ask the questions, you are the interviewer.
Alex 💛
Re-experiencing traumatic memories and flashbacks are perhaps the most obvious way that we are pushed out of our window of tolerance in the therapy room. But...
16/03/2026
Endings can be painful, they can be a celebration and all in-between.
Do you avoid them?
Do you sit in them, giving space to the relationships and emotions that present?
Do you have regrets around endings?
I hope this poem by is meaningful in some way.
Sending love and gentleness as you sit with the idea of and/or memories of endings 💛
05/03/2026
My picture from World Book Day with my 6 and 10 year old.
The chair photo isn't a mistake.
The truth is, I didn't get a photo and it's OK if you didn't too.
It's OK if you survived another morning where your children struggled with their choices, the extra planning, the extra processes, the sensory differences, the fear of being judged/perceived.
It's OK if keeping your cool and getting out the door in time, or in enough time, is 'all' you managed.
The chair is right now, as I reflect on the challenges, as I give myself a pat on the back for having enough in the tank to help my 10 year old make sense of our heightened emotions. As I sit hoping they had a good day regardless of their morning challenges, and that they may have the opportunity to notice comfort is OK to have as a high priority.
Also, as I sit knowing I'm not alone. You're not alone, even though you may not often feel seen with compassion, in these situations.
Sending you love and I hope your kiddies leave school able to tell you something awesome about themselves 💛
02/03/2026
Would you be confident in describing the difference between privacy and secrecy in your relationships?
Kalanit Ben-Ari has written this blog -
"When it comes to love, few topics create more confusion than this one:
Where does privacy end and secrecy begin?
Couples often struggle here. One partner says, “I’m entitled to my privacy.” The other feels, “Why does that feel like you’re hiding something?”
The difference may seem subtle — but emotionally, it’s enormous.
Let’s untangle it."
Click the link below to read her full blog post...
21/01/2026
Burnout isn't a flaw - it's your body asking for balance.
So what can you do?
1. Make a mental note, or write it down - when do you feel like this/what does life look like on the run up to feeling like this, how long is it since you last felt like this?
2. Is it medical? Blood tests are always helpful to rule anything else out - if you get the all clear you can sit safely working on your lifestyle balance and your nervous system
3. What's happening when you don't feel like this - what does life look like then? These are good indicators of what you need more of.
4. Get curious - be your own investigator. What comes to mind when you think of being burnt out - is it the stress at work, your relationship, holding parenthood - a mixture of many things?
5. What ways are you coping and are they helping in the long run? Some ways of coping can help numb or create distance from the discomfort in your mind and body - but do they nourish and bring energy and resources to your body, or leave you further depleted?
6. Do you have support? This can be anyone that feels safe to speak to - someone who you feel gets you, doesn't judge and who can walk by your side as you figure this out.
7. Know that you know. Your mind and body knows what it needs - the path ahead is not always easy or wanted on many levels - but you do know. Sometimes it takes time to connect with your inner knowing, especially when in order to keep going, you've had to deny or push it down. so -
8. Give yourself time - be patient. Allow experiments born from your curiosity to not go the way you thought they would, for sabotage to happen (because changing habits of a long time is hard).
9. Find ways to relax - whether that's stimming, doing yoga, reducing sensory input or going for walks - the more you bring calm, peaceful or neutral experiences into your body, the more accessible this becomes over time.
10. Ask questions and look for answers - is there anything you would like to ask me, for example?
Trust yourself.
Alex 💛
01/01/2026
"May this year surprise you with happiness." — Anonymous
As I stood welcoming the first sunrise of 2026, I thought about those no longer with us and those who start the year with hardship in all its forms.
May we have faith in our collective love, may happiness find us in those moments we need it most 💛
I look forward to walking 2026 by your side, physically, energetically, in thought.
Alex
04/11/2025
A huge welcome to Matilda - our new associate and our only Dramatherapist!
Matilda's flexibility and dynamic way of working supports those who are looking for an approach that moves beyond traditional talk therapy. With lots of experience and interest in the areas of trauma and attachment - she will actively support you in accessing the full physical space of the therapy room, focusing on the powerful role of the therapeutic relationship, helping you to understand and change how your patterns influence the way you navigate the world and relate to others.
Offering appointments in Hull, Beverley and Bridlington - get in touch to make an enquiry.
28/10/2025
Hi, I'm Alex Carling, and I am the facilitator of the Held and Heard: Therapy Group for Parents and Carers in Neurodivergent Families.
I'll be the one holding space for you to bring your experiences and work through your challenges.
With over 20 years working with parents and their children and 10+ years as a psychotherapist, I have developed a passion in trauma and neurodiversity.
I am lead by my clients and focus my professional development/training in all the areas that allow me to keep showing up as they need me to.
💛 Specialised Trauma Training
💛 Specialist Diploma in Neurodiversity Informed Practice
💛 Experience facilitating groups
💛 Body and mind integration - supporting you to be informed by both your thoughts, your sensations and experience being in your body
💛 Focus on regulation - how do you meet the needs of your nervous system and how do you help your kids meet theirs?
I'm also a Mum of two children under 10 and have personal experience of neurodiversity.
If joining our group interests you, if you're ready to connect in ways you've not been able to in day-to-day life - get in touch and let's explore it together.
Ever feel like your thoughts are a fragmented, foggy mess? Like you’re being told your reality isn't valid, by others or even yourself?
You're not imagining it. That feeling of self-doubt is real, and it can be a heavy burden.
The journey of parenting in a neurodiverse family can challenge your sense of self. When you’re constantly advocating, it's easy to lose sight of your own reality and truth.
Our therapy group offers a path from that chaos to clarity. It’s a space to finally be seen and understood, to build resilience, and to find your own truth. You'll move from a place of invalidation to a place of knowing.
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Alex Carling: Training & Therapeutic Services:
Welcome to Alex Carling: Training & Therapeutic Services.
When I say parts of yourself, I’m talking about your thoughts, your feelings, your behaviours, your body, your needs, your relationships... we all have these to access but there are so many that, through challenges in life, now live by accessing just some parts, whilst devaluing or shutting off others.
The services (free and paid) that I offer are to help you make changes and/or maintain the changes you’ve already established. I work online and from my office in Hull (Princes Avenue).
When you’ve spent so long training in an area, when you’ve invested your own vulnerability in making sure you do a good job (i.e. personal therapy), it’s no longer a job, but a way of life - this is my way of life.
Thank you for joining us, you can expect transparency, an up-front yet gentle response, lots of information sharing, feel good posts to help shift mood and reconnect with positivity, invitations to try new things or join me for a workshop; and I welcome all interaction, be it comments and messages.
Here’s how you can work with me:
Free Resources:
The Parent Circle - Where we figure it all out - a Facebook group for parents/carers, supporting you to understand yourself and your children better, so you feel more confident and connected. I share information, videos, workshops, food for thought - all aimed at helping you facilitate your own and your children’s development, mental health and well-being.
The Parent Circle email community - I can’t rely on Facebook to show you everything I have to offer, joining the email community means I get to send it straight to your inbox. You also get unlimited access to the Self-Esteem Workshop that we held online in April 2019.
General Newsletter - a newsletter for individuals, that compliments the ethos of this page: to live life fully, with every part of yourself. Signing up means you don’t miss out on any content, offers or events that I run throughout the year.
Blog - you can access all my content here.
Events - you can see what’s happening here.
Paid Services:
Psychotherapy and Counselling - using over 15 years of therapeutic experience to help you work through and recover from trauma, negative life patterns and much more... This service is predominantly office based.
Parenting Counselling - Through various methods, I provide parents & carers with a safe space to develop their knowledge and understanding around the challenges they face raising their children. This service is accessible online and at my office.
Training - I offer training to parents, businesses and schools
Consultancy - offering therapeutic consultancy in schools to facilitate their staff in meeting the complex needs of students in an academic arena
