“... With Abby’s care, kindness, warmth, understanding and compassion I feel renewed and back in touch with myself."

About Me

As you probably know by now, I am Abby Atkinson-Smith MBACP, a passionate, empathic, trauma-informed* counsellor, psychotherapist, and coach based in South Bristol.

I offer counselling and coaching services in person from a beautiful therapy room in Bristol (BS13) and online via Zoom to clients all over the UK. I always aim to provide my clients with a safe, warm, non-judgemental, compassionate, and empathic space to share, process, and explore what is going on for them.

I am fully insured, a member of BACP*, and hold a Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy, as well as many coaching certifications and diplomas, including:

  • Diploma in Educational Psychology

  • Understanding Neurodivergence

  • Confidence Coaching

  • Anxiety & Resilience Coaching

  • Counselling ADHD and Autistic Clients

  • Working with Children and Young People in Counselling

CPD is essential to my practice, so as both a counsellor and coach, I commit to completing at least 40 hours of Continued Professional Development annually, as well as updating my qualifications and certifications whenever necessary.

As a counsellor, I work with young people (age 14+) and adults. I can support clients seeking help with:

  • Anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues

  • Managing stress

  • OCD, compulsive behavior, and intrusive thoughts

  • PTSD and CPTSD

  • Coming to terms with diagnoses

  • Gender, sexuality, and identity struggles

  • Grief, loss, and bereavement

  • Exploring and healing from recent and historic trauma

  • Sexual issues

  • Family and relationship challenges

  • Self-esteem and self-worth building

  • Friendship issues and bullying

  • Unhelpful behaviour, thoughts, and beliefs

  • Understanding, exploring, and healing from domestic violence and abuse

  • Understanding, exploring, and healing from sexual violence and abuse

  • Understanding, exploring, and healing from childhood neglect and abuse

If I have not listed what you are facing, pop me a message and we can talk more about how I can help.

Much of my work as a coach has been with children, young people, and adults who wish to let go of anxiety and build their confidence.

Inclusivity is a strong value of mine, so I always aim to offer a therapeutic environment that suits each client’s individual needs. This is something we can talk about in our first session and will return to throughout our work together. Ensuring you feel safe is always my priority.

Currently, I work with many ADHD and Autistic clients. I believe my practice is well suited to neurodivergent individuals.

As well as running my Bristol-based private practice, I co-run HappiMe CIC, a not-for-profit organisation on a mission to improve children’s mental health. I also volunteer at SARSAS (Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support), and I am deeply motivated to make a difference to the lives of survivors of sexual violence and abuse.

I identify as a queer woman and use the pronouns she/her.

*BACP stands for The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). It is the UK's leading professional body for the counselling and coaching professions, promoting the role of counselling, protecting the profession and the public, and educating the public about the practice and benefits of counselling and psychotherapy. To become a member of BACP and to receive my BACP and NCPS accredited Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy, I had to undertake training that meets certain standards set out by the organisation, including 150-hours + pre-qualification counselling hours, 3-years+ of classroom-based learning, regular supervision, and much more.

*As a trauma-informed counsellor, I appreciate and understand the impact trauma can have on individuals and their behaviour. I therefore approach counselling with sensitivity and awareness to avoid re-traumatisation, fostering a safe and supportive environment for you to heal. 

 FAQs

To understand more about how I work, how I can help, and what sessions with me might look like, I have added some information below to help you on your journey to finding a new counsellor. I hope this is helpful!

I appreciate that choosing a counsellor can be tricky and confusing, so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

  • I charge £59.50 per 1-hour session. This is the same for both my counselling and coaching services. I also offer block booking and concessionary rates. If you wish to know more, please enquire about this when you fill in my contact form.

  • Firstly, fill in my contact form and I will get in touch to book in your free 15-minute consultation. If you still wish to work with me following this informal chat, sessions can be booked weekly into a mutually convenient regular time slot. I will also share more about my T&Cs before we start any work together.

  • I work Monday to Thursday between 10am and 7pm, however, I will only be able to offer the slots that are not booked by current clients. This regularly changes, so we can talk more about this in our free consultation.

  • Yes, in fact most of my clients opt for Zoom sessions. I offer block booking discounts for online sessions. We can talk more about this if you get in touch.

  • Yes, absolutely. There are some limits to this, of course, but I talk through this in detail when we look at my counselling contract. In fact, this is an area I am always very open and transparent with my clients about.

  • As a Person Centred Counsellor, I will offer you a warm, compassionate, and supportive space for you to explore and process whatever is on your mind, or any issues or hurdles you wish to overcome. 

    For example, you might come to me wanting to manage or heal from anxiety, depression, compulsive or intrusive thoughts, or any other mental health issue. Or, perhaps you are experiencing or have experienced a loss, recent or historic trauma, relationship challenges, or are grappling with parts of your identity, new information, or a diagnosis like ADHD, Autism, OCD, or Chronic Fatigue.

    I believe that by building a counselling relationship based on trust, empathy, honesty, and understanding, together we can help you get back in touch with who you are and the wisdom you have within you. I may offer some advice, if you want it, but much of my work is about you figuring out what you think, how you feel, and what to do with any newfound understandings and self-discoveries. 

    Whatever you are facing right now. I am here, I see you, and I will be there for you as you work towards your counselling goals.

    If you have any questions, pop me a message.

  • I always offer a free, no-obligation 15-minute phone or online video call before we start (whatever you are most comfortable with!). It is a great opportunity for you to get to know me and how I work, and if you want to, a chance for you to share a little more with me about why you're interested in counselling.

    Please don't worry, I will never ask you to make any decisions regarding working with me on that call. In fact, I will encourage you to take as long as you need to think about whether I am the right person for you. If I am not the right fit, I am more than happy to offer guidance on what other routes may be helpful for you. I am also part of a wonderful network of counsellors, so I may be able to recommend someone who might be a better fit. All you would need to do is ask.

    If you do wish to work with me, we can then book in your first session! This booking day/time will generally be the slot you have with me for the duration we work together, though if you ever need to change or swap, I will always do my best to accommodate. I will then send you an email with the link to join our online sessions or the address of my therapy room (depending on which option you choose), along with an invoice requesting advance payment (at least 48 hours before our booking), my T&Cs, and anything else I think could be helpful for you to know. You are welcome to ask any questions you have at any point in this process - I will always try to be prompt when getting back to you. 

    If you would like to book your free chat in, pop me a message now.

  • The first session is generally a little different to ongoing sessions. To start with, we will spend some time going through a ‘Counselling Contract’. This is a document outlining how I work and what you can expect from me. We will then discuss what your hopes are for counselling, and if you would like to, set some goals and a rough date of when you might like to review those goals and how the sessions are going. I generally suggest doing that every 4–6-weeks anyway, but I will always fit around you and your wishes. 

    Any time remaining can then be spent starting the counselling work together. Many clients start by telling me more of their story, or giving me more background about why they are in counselling, but there is no right or wrong way to ‘do’ counselling. As long as the session feels helpful and you feel supported, that’s great!

    Book in a free consultation to find out more.

  • I offer an ‘as long as needed or wanted’ approach, which means you will have full autonomy and control over when the sessions end. I ask for 2-weeks notice when possible, just so we can prepare for the ending and to offer a sense of closure, but I appreciate that this is not always possible and will respect your wishes. Some of my clients work with me for 2-3 months, and that feels like enough; others have been working with me for many years - it really is up to you.

    I will aim to check-in regularly so that you have the opportunity to end and change how we work, as I know it can be hard to talk about. I promise you that inclusivity, understanding, and care are at the heart of how I work, so I will always make space for you to be honest with me. 

  • Just contact me today.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this information. As I said earlier, I know choosing a counsellor or a coach can be a minefield, so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch! My inbox is open. 

What Do My Clients Say?

“There is no beating around the bush, counselling is hard. But with Abby’s care, kindness, warmth, understanding and compassion I feel renewed and back in touch with myself. I smile more and hold boundaries, both of which were alien to me when we first met. I am so grateful for meeting Abby and the support she has offered me. Thank you.”

“I reached out to Abby when my daughter was going through a really difficult period in her life. We were extremely lucky to have Abby respond and go on to support my daughter over the past 2.5 years.

The techniques Abby used were really effective in helping my daughter overcome any sad and anxious thoughts she was having and she felt able to open up to Abby about these. A lot of this is down to Abby being very kind, friendly and just generally, lovely!

My daughter has grown in confidence and is so much stronger than she was a few years ago and we definitely have Abby to thank for that!”

“Abby has supported my son to gain confidence & be strong enough to deal with difficult situations, he has changed so much even other family members have noticed. He is starting to be able to take control when feeling overwhelmed, after his sessions with Abby he always comes away with a smile on his face and tells me how well it went.”

“My life has transformed since starting counselling with Abby. I was so anxious when I first asked for help, and now, I enjoy life and feel so much more confident.”

“I contacted Abby just after being diagnosed as AuDHD. Abby has helped me to understand what that means, explore who I am, communicate my needs, and live a much fuller life than I was living pre-diagnosis. Thank you Abby.”

Contact Me

Interested in working with me? Fill out this form and I will be in touch within just a few days.