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.
15/07/2025
Mindful Moment – Join Me Tomorrow
Looking for a pause in your week? A moment to reset and breathe?
I’m running a free Mindful Moment session tomorrow, Wednesday 16th July at 11:30am (UK time) – and you’re warmly invited.
💻 It’s online via Zoom
🎤 Tech gremlins from last time have been sorted (yes, the mic will be ON this time 😅)
✨ I've also added some short intro content you can explore before the session so we can make the most of our time together.
Whether you’re a regular or new to these spaces, you’re welcome exactly as you are.
May I welcome our new associate, Kiran, and her new blog: Why Culturally Sensitive Therapy Matters.
💛 Kiran is our newest associate, she is a British-Indian woman and therapist who offers therapy to individuals and couples.
💛 She is trained in Transactional Analysis and Imago Relationship Therapy
💛 She offers therapy in English, Punjabi and Hindi
💛 Her work is underpinned by the relationship and she uses creativity, metaphor, imagery, and reflective dialogue to explore deeper emotional layers and unspoken experiences
Kiran has availability and looks forward to welcoming you into her practice.
Unsure what the free parenting consultation can offer you if you find it in your inbox?
The options below show what I hope it can offer you - in the image you can see what this parent/carer received.
☑️ A safe space to talk
☑️ Useful ideas or strategies
Clarity around the situation
☑️ A chance to feel heard and understood
Emotional support
Something else
It didn't cost them any money, but it did cost their time, trust and vulnerability - that would be the same for you too.
It can be hard to trust someone new, especially in the area of your parenting and your experience of it. It's precious and people don't always treat it so - even professionals can miss you and feel you leaving unseen.
I hope by sharing this, you find it helpful. If you think you could benefit from some time with me, all I ask for is your time, trust and vulnerability. If you would like to pass the act of kindness on - that's a huge bonus for me and the world.
The next free consultation will be drawn in August as July's has already been received.
* Gentle Note: As an ethical stance, I don't share client feedback but as this is a gift and it is transparent in nature and full consent is received, I am sharing feedback to support others accessing this free service.
Instagram - head to my bio, the link is super easy to find!
01/07/2025
Are you a parent or carer looking for guidance or support in your parenting role?
Maybe it's knowledge you're looking for, or a safe space to put your challenges on the table.
Are you always second guessing yourself and wondering if you're doing the right thing for your kids?
If this is you, why not put your name down to receive a FREE Parenting Consultation?
One drawn each month, accessed online within a 4 week period of receipt - July's will be drawn after 20:00 (BST) this evening (July 1st).
Not sure what you'd use it for? In my opinion, any relief you get as a parent or carer naturally filters down to you children, so use the time for whatever feels big or right for you, right now.
No Fixing. No Judgement. Just care, curiosity and a co-created process.
All brains are welcome and all question and needs are valid.
Psychotherapist-led with me, Alex Carling.
Feel free to ask me questions or go straight ahead and put your name down - and send it to anyone you think may find it useful.
INSTAGRAM: Head to my bio and you'll find the link to my email list there.
27/06/2025
We don't practice mindfulness because...
💛 We don't practice mindfulness because it solves things — we practice it because it changes how we show up to what's already here.
💛 We don't practice mindfulness because it solves things — we practice it because it rewires how our brain responds to stress, emotion, and challenge.
💛 We don't practice mindfulness because it solves things — we practice it because it helps us stay with our feelings, not fight them.
💛 We don't practice mindfulness because it fixes everything — we practice it because it helps us feel without getting lost.
💛 We don’t practice mindfulness because it fixes parenting — we practice it because it helps us pause, notice, and respond with more presence.
💛 We don't practice mindfulness because it solves things, we practice it because it helps us stay present with whatever is happening — with more awareness, compassion, and choice.
It doesn't take long for mindfulness practices to have a positive impact - if you would like to join us for our next FREE online mindful moment - we'd love you to.
💛 Is mindfulness really as helpful as people make out?
My answer is definitely yes, but at the same time, it's not a magic wand or pill. Life still happens. What can be different with mindfulness is the way you respond to it. By slowing down you are strengthening your neural networks involved in - slowing down. This impacts emotional regulation, impulse control, reactive responses etc. Research shows that:
"Mindfulness increases activation in the prefrontal cortex (the area responsible for emotion regulation), and decreases activation in the amygdala (the stress response centre)."
"In a large-scale survey by Mindful.org and the Centre for Healthy Minds:
➤ 91% of participants said mindfulness helped them feel more present in daily life
➤ 89% reported improved self-awareness
➤ 86% felt it improved their emotional "
"In chronic pain patients, led to pain reduction of 50% in some cases."
💛 What if I can't do it?
You can! It's not about if you can't do it, it's about managing your expectations around how you do it, what it feels like, what's right and wrong. As humans, we often look for where the edges are but in something like mindfulness - there aren't any (as such). My invite to you, is to allow what ever is. Experience it - what is it like to feel like an alien in the moment and to stay there? What is it like to let your internal landscape be IT - no judgement, no rights or wrongs 😱
💛 I don't feel confident in groups, will you record it?
I'm afraid I won't be recording the sessions, as an attempt to make people feel more comfortable. You don't need to have your camera on and all microphones will be muted to avoid disruptions. There will be opportunities to be an active member as I do a check in and check out, but there is absolutely no obligation to share, to say anything or write anything in the comments - I advocate you listening to your and following it's lead.
💛 What if I feel something I don't want to feel?
This is a great question! I will make reference to this possibility and offer you ways to whilst still being mindful. It is possible - it's always important to listen to your own limits.
Here's your reminder, or your invite if you've not seen this info yet!
We're meeting online, Tuesday 24th June - 12:30 and everyone is welcome!
What you get: a free 30 minute mindful moment where you can slow the world down and connect with yourself and your internal experience.
Why? Because without moments like this, you risk
💛 Staying stressed as your 'normal'
💛 Staying locked in anxiety
💛 Miss signals from your body - without them you keep banging the same unhelpful drum
💛 Inflammation
💛 Aligning with the work faster, harder longer messages, at our own detriment
You also get to:
💛 Learn skills you can use any time!
💛 Calm your nervous system
💛 Take time for yourself
💛 Learn skills you can teach your loved ones
💛 Be in an online space with others
💛 Save the Date: June 24th, 12:30
💛 Join me on your lunch, for 30 minutes, and reset your nervous system
💛 Consider this your appointment, for you time
💛 It's online, you don't need to use your camera and you will be muted, so your busy noisy life is welcome
💛 Just turn up and see what it's like
💛 Learn why it's important to do what we will be doing in the session and in time, learn how it feels - the benefits 💛
💛 Mindfulness isn't about being zen, it's about being with what is - there's no need to strive for the perfect time, location or headspace - you can just rock up!
I look forward to being with you, right where and how you are!
Alex
12/06/2025
A new subscriber will be selected at the start of July - how do you fancy having a free 50 minute appointment, online, to discuss or do anything that you as a parent, think will benefit you?!
From discussing your children's needs, to requesting some time to learn to breathe or slow down your mind - whatever it is - let me give you my time and my learning, to support you in your role as a parent or carer.
Why? Because I can, I want to and I don't doubt for one moment, that you deserve it and will feel better from it.
Here's my credentials; why I may be best place to help you:
💛 Certified psychotherapist with 10+ years experience
💛 Clinical Supervisor - support therapists and counsellors in their role
💛 Trauma informed - I understand how trauma expresses itself in your body and how you can move and process it
💛 Training in how to best support groups
💛 Certified adoption therapist
💛 Certified Brainspotting practitioner (trauma processing therapy)
💛 15+ years working with children and their parents
💛 Neurodiversity informed practitioner
💛 Level 1 Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy - training that focuses on rebuilding and repairing relationships between children and their care-givers
💛 Somatic practitioner - I work with the mind-body connection, valuing the nervous system and the body's intuitive capacity to heal
💛 Mother of two
If you want more info or ideas on how you can use it, let me know.
11/06/2025
"I know I need to take time for myself but where does that time come from?"
"Even if I had the time, what would I do that would be effective, that would actually help me feel better?"
Does this sound familiar? It does to me, I hear myself say it sometimes, and I hear a lot of other people say it too.
So what if I said I was planning on holding an online group for you?
💛 The group wouldn't be a therapy group
💛 It would be a group that facilitates you to explore different ways that you can find space and experience that space
💛 It would offer opportunity to regulate and reset your nervous system
💛 I would use therapeutic strategies and interventions
💛 It would be online
💛 You would always have an option around how much you get involved and there would be no 'outting' in your decision not to participate
💛 There would be lots of psychoeducation (learning about your brain, nervous system, development etc)
💛 It would be neuro-affirming - not everyone's nervous system responds the same and there would be opportunity to personalise exercises offered - nothing to fix, no right way to do it
💛 It would provide you with an 'appointment' - reason to be busy and accountability - people to show up for
I've ran many groups and I've been part of many too - I understand the vulnerability in showing up in a group, the need for emotional safety and the need to have a choice around involvement.
I also understand the collective power of groups - they offer us so much insight.
🤍 We see ourselves in others
🤍 We are seen by them and
🤍 We are provided opportunity to expand our perspectives
I'm in the research phase - I need to know if you want it and would come?
I would LOVE it, if you popped a simple Yes/Y or a No/N in the comments!
Thank you in advance!
Oh, and I'll be holding ad-hoc sessions online, in my free appointments (free of charge too), whilst doing the research bit - make sure you get the link to the calls by joining my email list (I hardly send emails, don't worry!!) https://www.counsellinginhull.co.uk/receive-emails
05/06/2025
Do you want some support in your role as a parent or carer?
Are you struggling to know where to find the kind of support that is informed, relevant and safe?
I have 2 ways you can access parenting counselling with me...
💛 Paid appointments - check my availability and see if we can work together.
💛 Free one-off consultations - I offer a parent or carer a free appointment, each month! The draw is picked randomly and it can be used for anything that would benefit you as a parent.
If you would like to find out more, head to my bio if you're using Instagram, or click this link on Facebook http://www.counsellinginhull.co.uk
To be eligible for the free consultations, worth £80, subscribe to my email letter (I only ever send them when I have something useful to share, and when I have the time 🤪)
Who am I?
💛 A psychotherapist with over 10 years experience of therapy, 15 more years of working with children and their parents in the context of domestic abuse.
💛 Trauma trained and a brainspotting practitioner
💛 Certified to work in the areas of adoption
💛 Clinical Supervisor
💛 Counselling tutor
💛 Neuro-affirming with personal experience of neurodiversity
💛 Mum of two
💛 Committed to using my privilege to support others
The free consultations are a way of giving back, if you don't need them but you know someone that may, why not send them this post or tag them in it?
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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
