Accessible by design
We create different pathways and fee options so that counselling is within reach for more people.
About The Ash
Accessible counselling can still feel thoughtful, professional and deeply human.
The Ash was created around a simple belief: access and quality should not sit at opposite ends of the spectrum.
We are building a counselling service that is affordable, inclusive, clinically supported and easier to enter without asking people to navigate therapy alone.
Why The Ash exists
To make starting therapy feel less complicated.
For many people, the hardest part is not deciding that they need support. It is knowing where to begin, who to choose, what kind of therapy they need, and whether they can afford to continue.
The Ash is designed to reduce some of that uncertainty. We begin with an assessment, consider what may be most suitable, and help people move into a counselling pathway that feels manageable and appropriate.
That can mean working with a trainee counsellor under regular clinical supervision, a qualified counsellor, or a face-to-face pathway where available.
What matters to us
Warmth, structure and respect belong in the same service.
Clinically supported
Supervision, assessment, safeguarding and clear professional boundaries are part of how we work.
Inclusive and culturally responsive
We aim to offer respectful support that considers identity, background, culture and lived experience.
Human rather than transactional
We want people to feel held within a service, not processed through a system.
Leadership
Built around care, clinical thinking and service.
The Ash is led with a focus on both the client experience and the structures needed to support safe, sustainable counselling work.
As the organisation grows, that includes assessors, counsellors, supervisors, safeguarding support, administration and partnership work — all contributing to a joined-up service rather than isolated therapy sessions.
Head of Service
Simbisai Shumbamhini
Director, The Ash Counselling Ltd
Professional standards
Affordable should not mean lightly held.
We take seriously the responsibility that comes with providing counselling, particularly where trainees are part of the service model.
BACP
Organisational membership and professional frameworks.
Supervision
Regular clinical supervision is built into our trainee pathway.
Safeguarding
Clear internal processes for risk, safeguarding and clinical escalation.
ICO
Registered data protection arrangements and privacy responsibilities.
Community and partnerships
We want counselling to sit closer to the communities that need it.
We work with community organisations and referral partners, including Menshare, to create clearer routes into support.
As these partnerships grow, this part of The Ash will grow with them.
The Ash
Support can be affordable without feeling reduced.
That is the standard we are building toward.