When everything feels a bit ‘off’, talking about it is a great place to start

Because you really do deserve so much more than to struggle on your own.

Counsellor and Psychotherapist in St Albans, Hertfordshire

I’m Ali Harris Counsellor, Psychotherapist & ADHD Coach at
Ali Harris Therapy

I’ve spent the last 12 years or so working to support people to create happier, more satisfying lives.

I realise that the prospect of a brighter, sunnier future might feel completely out of your reach right now.

I get that.
It will take time.
Annoying, but true.

But if you give it the chance, counselling can really help you. That’s why I do it!

What ever is going on for you, counselling can provide you with space and time to talk about, think about, fully feel and explore all the stuff in your head that is bringing you down, overwhelming you and holding you back.

I like to think of counselling like a bit of a Marie Kondo of the mind - does this belief bring you joy? Is it true? Is it useful? If not, why do you keep it? What is it doing for you? What does it mean to you? Does it reflect what YOU believe?

And when you’ve ‘decluttered’ - basically, processed - all the difficult stuff that’s in there, the thoughts and feelings that are surplus to requirement, you’ll be amazed at how much brighter things can look and feel.

It’s no exaggeration to say that counselling can transform your life for the better!

Not bad, eh?

Tell me More

Okay… so what I’m thinking you’ll really want to know about me is probably these kind of things:

What can you help me with?
Do you have experience helping people like me?
What do your clients think of you?
What are you like as a person?
Do you get what I’m going through- have you ever struggled with your mental health?
Will I ever actually feel better?

WATCH: To help you get a better feel for who I am as a person, watch the video above and hear what I’m about, why I love this job, what I can do for you and more…

LISTEN: You can also listen to the podcast episode, Take control of all the bad sh*t that has happened to you with Ali Harris, in which I was interviewed by Laura Cruise: The Dream Transition Mentor - we chatted about mental health & therapy, depression, the challenges of motherhood etc. and still manage to laugh alot!

A little bit sweary. Definitely not judgy. Pug owner. Caffeine fiend. Lover of rainbows &
sci-fi.

ADHD Coaching and Therapeutic Support

Yes, I'm a counsellor and psychotherapist.

I’m also an ADHD coach, and a proud member of the neurodivergent community myself.

Having lived most of my life undiagnosed with ADHD, I know how it feels to feel different- to feel like you don’t quite fit in with ‘normal life’ and how that can make you feel like you’re not ‘good enough’ or like you’re the ‘odd one out’.

You’re not, of course you’re not… but I get how it *can* feel like that because I used to feel like that too.

It’s the reason why I offer specific ADHD coaching and therapeutic support no matter where you are in your neurodivergent journey:

To help you cope better.
To feel more included and less alone.
To build up your self esteem and your confidence, as well as your ability to focus and organise yourself in the everyday.

Have a read about what ADHD coaching and support looks like with me.

Tell me More

“I didn’t even know I had ADHD when I started seeing Ali for counselling. When she suggested that I might want to get assessed, I was surprised, relieved but also afraid. Ali helped and supported me through the whole process. Even when I was diagnosed I felt like I might be using ADHD as an excuse.”

“I didn’t even know I had ADHD when I started seeing Ali for counselling. When she suggested that I might want to get assessed, I was surprised, relieved but also afraid. Ali helped and supported me through the whole process. Even when I was diagnosed I felt like I might be using ADHD as an excuse. Ali is helping me work through all my hopes and fears, as well as navigate practical obstacles (like working out how to actually regularly order, pick up and take my ADHD meds!) and helping me figure out how to succeed in the work-place, despite my executive dysfunction issues.
She’s a legend!”

Private Practice Counselling Set-Up

Alongside providing 1:1 counselling services and ADHD coaching, I also offer a 1:1 course for private practice set-up.

Simply put, it means I’m helping more qualified counsellors get out there and set up their own private counselling practices in the UK.

Why? So that more of us are able to help the huge numbers of people post-pandemic who are struggling in silence with their mental health every day.

If you’re a therapist, you can have a read of this here

Private Practice Set Up

“My counselling course was great but it did not show me how to set up in private practice. I felt overwhelmed by all the things to consider. Private Practice Coaching has been a great investment. Ali is walking me through everything and when we’re done, I’m going to hit the ground running”

“My counselling course was great but it did not provide me with any info on how to set up in private practice as a counsellor. I felt completely overwhelmed by all the things to consider – supervision, insurance, finding a room, CPD, contracts, whether to work in-person or online, navigating social media, branding, IT, websites! Aargh! This all scared the pants off me. Private Practice Coaching has been a great investment. Ali is walking me through the whole thing and I just know that when we’re done, although it’s scary, I’m going to hit the ground running”

The Boring-But-Important-Bits

My Qualifications and Experience

Ali Harris in a blue jacket sitting on a yellow chair

I’m a fully qualified counsellor and psychotherapist, and those fancy little letters after my name (MBACP) mean that I’m a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

(Basically that means I’m not just some random woman on the internet with no qualifications or experience, and I’m held to a strict code of ethics, morals and practice that I follow at every step of our working relationship.)

Before I set up Ali Harris Therapy, I was a counsellor for the The Counselling Foundation, where I saw clients for charities, for the NHS, for companies whose staff needed EAP.

I have spent the best part of 12 years building up a pretty extensive wealth of knowledge and experience in helping people talk about their difficult thoughts and feelings.