Ali Crawford Counselling
Counselling & Psychotherapy for Teenagers & Adults in Tonbridge
Welcome to
Ali Crawford Counselling
Welcome! I hope my site can answer any questions you may have about me and about counselling.
I’m deeply committed to supporting people as they navigate the challenges that hold them back from living fully. I believe everyone deserves the chance to thrive, and I would be honoured to work alongside you in creating the life you want for yourself.
A little about me
My counselling journey began more than 25 years ago, working for a charity supporting children who were struggling with bereavement. Since then, my career has taken me through a wide range of settings, including low-cost adult counselling charities, primary & secondary schools, working with vulnerable adults, a teen and family counselling service specialising in neurodiversity, a sexual health clinic, and private practice.
I now work with adults and teenagers in private practice, in several schools in Tonbridge, and with lowcost counselling charities in Gravesend and Bexley. I also provide support through a number of corporate Employee Assistance Programmes.
My experience covers a broad range of issues, including anxiety, depression, low selfesteem, and the difficult-to-name sense of “I’m not OK.” I have extensive experience of helping clinets with relationship and friendship difficulties, living loss, bereavement & grief, adult and childhood trauma, the impact of challenging or harmful parenting, poor body image, Autism, ADHD, and rejection sensitivity.
I offer a safe, nonjudgemental space grounded in genuine compassion and support. You are encouraged to explore whatever is affecting you now, as well as past experiences that may feel overwhelming or may be holding you back from living a more fulfilling life. Nothing is offlimits in our sessions; anything that matters to you is welcome, and I will be alongside you with empathy and understanding.
My approach is integrative, drawing on a range of therapeutic models so that our work fits your individual needs. This may mean short-term counselling with practical strategies to help manage anxiety, or longer-term psychotherapy to explore deeper experiences such as childhood trauma. Different challenges call for different approaches, and I tailor our work together accordingly. Your input is central throughout, ensuring that our sessions remain focused on what you need.
Counselling is not about me giving advice. Instead, it is a space where you can deepen your understanding of your experiences and feel empowered to make changes or question longheld beliefs about yourself. My role is to walk alongside you, offering insight & support, while respecting your autonomy and your pace.
I have had counselling at many different points in my life—both during times when I was struggling and during times when I wanted to focus on personal growth and change. Each experience brought a genuine shift in my outlook and mindset, and this is why I strongly advocate counselling for anyone who feels they might benefit from additional support, reflection, or insight.
My core training includes a Level 4 Diploma in Adult Counselling and a Level 6 Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People. I continue to build on this foundation by regularly attending CPD workshops and training to keep my knowledge current and my practice informed.
I am a member of the BACP and am currently working towards Accreditation.
How is counselling tailored to meet the needs of various age groups?
Adults
The core of adult counselling is a confidential, nonjudgemental relationship that gives you the space to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours safely. Rather than offering advice, I support you in discovering your own insights and solutions- because no one understands your inner world as deeply & fully as you do — counselling helps you reconnect with that understanding, even if it doesn’t feel accessible right now.
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Together, we can make sense of feelings or patterns of behaviour that may no longer be serving you and explore ways of responding that support a healthier, more compassionate view of yourself and your experiences.
Counselling can be helpful for many different challenges, and I have experience working with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, stress, depression, relationship and family difficulties, major life transitions such as bereavement or career changes, low confidence, and the impact of past trauma.
Teenagers
Our teenagers — and I say this as a parent of two myself — face a unique set of pressures and challenges as they move through adolescence. Many find this stage of life overwhelming, confusing, or emotionally intense. They need a therapist who understands the complexities of teenage development so that the support offered genuinely matches their individual needs. When working with teens, a one size fits all approach simply doesn’t work.
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I provide a safe, confidential space where young people can express their thoughts, feelings, and worries openly. This helps them understand themselves better, develop healthier coping strategies, and strengthen their emotional wellbeing and resiliance. It can also support them in reaching developmental milestones they may have struggled to meet. Counselling can be helpful for a wide range of issues, including stress, anxiety, withdrawal, depression, questions around sexuality or gender, peer pressure, exam stress, bullying, family difficulties, social or academic challenges, and making important life choices.
Sessions are private so that your teenager can speak freely without fear of judgement or repercussions at home. If any safeguarding concerns arise during our work — anything that indicates your young person or someone else may be at risk - you will be informed straight away, and if necessary, collaborative work involving you and I can then take place to support your young person.
Children
Adult and child counselling differ in several important ways because adults and children process emotions, communicate, and understand the world very differently. The therapeutic relationship, methods used and aims of therapy all adapt to the childs developmental stage. I am specifically trained to use age appropriate approaches such as play, creative activities, play interpretation & gentle exploration. This keeps sessions relaxed and engaging while still allowing meaningful therapeutic work to take place.
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I help children make sense of the difficulties that have brought them to counselling — whether that’s life changes, anxiety, low confidence, avoiding toileting, bullying, trauma, or something they can’t yet put into words — and support them in developing tools to manage these experiences.
Sessions are weekly because consistency helps children build trust, share their experiences more freely, and develop emotional resilience. Confidentiality is maintained between me and your child, while still supporting a holistic approach that includes you as their parent or carer. We will have regular update sessions, where I encourage your child to involve you in the process by sharing aspects of their therapeutic work. We will also share with you the strategies we work on so you are able to continue the work & support them at home. If any safeguarding concerns arise, you will be informed immediately. With a collaborative and supportive approach, we can work together to help your child and seek additional external support if needed.
How counselling works
Sessions are 50 minutes and held face to face. The work is collaborative and shaped around what you need. You may come with clear aims you want to work towards, or you may prefer a more organic approach and see where the process naturally leads. Weekly sessions are ideal, as they help us maintain momentum and allow you to notice shifts in emotional awareness or patterns of behaviours — or notice when things aren’t changing – and we can then explore this together. As we move towards the end of our work, you may find that fortnightly sessions feel more appropriate.
People come to me for help with a wide range of issues. Here are just a few of the difficulties that can be supported through counselling:
Feelings of stress, anxiety or depression
Panic attacks
OCD
Low confidence or self-esteem
Anger management
Issues relating to sexuality or gender
Difficulties at school, work or in retirement
Exam and academic stress
Relationship and Family problems
Living loss, bereavement & grief
Trauma, PTSD or CPTSD
My location
I work from a relaxing and nurturing space in North Tonbridge with plenty of off-road parking. I am easily accessible from the M25, M20 and A21.
I can also provide online sessions to people throughout the UK.
Feel free to contact me and we can talk about what is happening for you at this time.
Fees & availability
Session fees are £60 per session. Appointments are usually booked for the same time & same day each week as this helps develop momentum & focus around the sessions. I offer some low cost sessions, so please feel free to enquire if there are any of these slots available. These slots are only available in the day time.
I offer a 'no charge' 15 minute phone consultation so we can understand what brings you to counselling at this particular time and what you are looking to benefit & experience from it. This initial consultation gives you time to be certain you feel I am the right therapist for you and ensure our work is both collaborative and productive for you.
Payment is always made in advance of your session. Please note, I do have a cancellation policy and may charge for missed sessions. I can provide more information on this before we start our work.
Get in touch
Please reach out using this form if you’d like to learn more about counselling or about how I work. We can speak on the phone, and that first conversation gives us space to explore what’s bringing you to counselling and how it might support you.
Alternatively, you can call me on 07823 438946. I’m always happy to talk through any questions before arranging an appointment.
All enquiries are treated with strict confidentiality, and I usually respond within 24 hours.
Some frequently asked questions
The length of counselling varies depending on your needs. Some people find that just a few sessions give them enough clarity and direction to bring the work to a natural close. Others value the ongoing support and the therapeutic relationship, choosing to continue for several months or even years. There is no single approach that suits everyone.
You’re welcome to end counselling at any time, and I never ask you to block book or commit to a set number of sessions. Because endings are an important part of the therapeutic process, I will always recommend a final session when you decide to finish. This gives us space to review the work we’ve done together and ensure you feel ready and confident to move forward without ongoing support.
Therapy is different from talking to a friend because the relationship is intentionally structured to support your wellbeing, not to offer opinions or take sides. I don’t give advice, I’m not connected to anyone in your life, and I hold no judgement about your beliefs, thoughts, or actions.
My aim is to offer you a first appointment, known as an assessment session, within a week of our initial telephone conversation. Waiting times can vary depending on your availability and when you’re hoping to begin therapy.
I offer you a confidential space. I keep only minimal handwritten notes, anonymised and used solely as an aidemémoire for my clinical thinking. I do not store any client information on my computer.
As part of my ethical obligations, I attend clinical supervision every fortnight. The purpose of this is to ensure that I am working safely, ethically, and always in your best interests. All material discussed in supervision is fully anonymised.
There are, however, rare situations where the law requires me to break confidentiality. These include disclosures involving certain child protection concerns, terrorism, drug trafficking, or money laundering.
Your young person needs a private space where they can explore what’s going on for them without worrying that information will be passed back to you. The purpose of their therapy isn’t to give you updates or to make you feel better about what they’re experiencing, but to support them as they make sense of their feelings and learn to manage the difficulties that brought them to counselling.
If there is a safeguarding concern about their safety, or the safety of someone else, that information will be shared with you. We can talk through how this works in more detail before an initial session is arranged, as this can be a particular area of concern for parents.
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