A Parker Therapy

A Parker Therapy Individual, Couple and Family Counselling Ashley is a relationship therapist working with both individuals and couples.

All sessions are provided via telephone or online.

Yes You Can! There’s nothing I love more in the world than sitting with my friends and talking the back wheels of everyt...
12/11/2025

Yes You Can!

There’s nothing I love more in the world than sitting with my friends and talking the back wheels of everything and anything - including relationships!

But sometimes the best thing we can do is talk to someone who can look at the relationship through a less biased lens.

Working as a couples therapist means that I am more naturally not just thinking about what’s in front of me, but the dance between the two of you, even in your partners absence.

I can help you see the patterns that might be escaping you and help you create change that can ripple through the whole relationship.

When you start to grow, the relationship can too.

If you’re curious head to my website to find out more ❤️

That love that you see in that couple who seem to have it all worked out…that isn’t luck my love - that is work. That’s ...
07/11/2025

That love that you see in that couple who seem to have it all worked out…that isn’t luck my love - that is work.

That’s the decision to repair after that stupid argument;

It’s the courage to stand still when you want to run a mile;

It’s the curiosity that stokes the fire, not the ambivalence that puts it out.

It’s the willingness to look beyond those automatic reactions and reach for a response.

In what ways you can pause today, take a breath and make small step towards, rather than away.

Where can you say yes ❤️

Save this as a reminder ✨


You’ve been thinking about it for days; you’ve composed the perfect words and then suddenly you feel small. Unheard. Wit...
05/11/2025

You’ve been thinking about it for days; you’ve composed the perfect words and then suddenly you feel small.
Unheard.
Within a micro second, they’re defensive or shut down or worse - minimise what you’re saying.

And on the surface it can feel like they don’t care. And maybe there are times when it is that. But more often than not I witness that shut down because they have quite literally shut down.

There’s overwhelm. A difficulty in handling the emotions that are coming their way.

Sometimes it’s a panic to find the language that fits what’s happening in that moment.

But very rarely is it experienced this way by you. You feel rejected and wonder why you’ve bothered.

Sometimes you might push harder. Pursue for a sign that there’s care or understanding. But instead of pushing harder - pause.

Saying something like “I can see this feels hard to talk about. Can we come back to it when we both feel calmer?” creates safety and collaboration.

And it’s more than tempting to retreat and not try again, but each time you try this and co-create an environment for those conversations to happen - your body remembers.

I don’t know about you, but I think we’re so often romanced by the number of years people spend together - like longevit...
03/11/2025

I don’t know about you, but I think we’re so often romanced by the number of years people spend together - like longevity itself is the gold seal of success. ⁣
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I still find myself going “ooohhhh” when a couple tells me they’ve been together 20 years. And yet, I know that doesn’t necessarily say anything about happiness or satisfaction, unless those things are actually present. ⁣
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Familiarity can make us forget curiosity. We stop asking, stop wondering, stop discovering. ⁣
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Everything I talk about in my slides can be worked on and remastered, but clinging to longevity like a life raft won’t get you there. ⁣
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Get curious. Stay open.

Reignite that beautiful unknowing. ⁣
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My diary is open for new clients and deep-dive couples intensives. ⁣
⁣

26/10/2025

Silence can be powerful - it can also be excruciating.

Honestly, I am genuinely well seasoned in silence in my sessions - I have experienced a lot of them 😅 But it can be utterly painful when we make a bid for connection with someone and we are met with silence.

It can be interpreted in so many ways - but mostly it’s common to make it mean something negative.

Sometimes no matter how comfortable you are with one another, it simply can feel impossible to find the ‘right’ words. And that’s the key - often the fear of saying the wrong thing is what takes over.

It’s important for both of you to acknowledge how these kinds of interactions make you feel.

And it can really help to establish some helpful strategies in anticipation of this.

Pausing and simply saying ‘I’m struggling to know how respond’

“I’m wondering how you’d like me to support you right now”

“Sometimes I struggle to find the words and I might go silent; please know this isn’t because I don’t care”

Would you prefer silence or for your partner to maybe get it wrong?

Follow for more

I don’t know if this is for you or for me or for all of us…but that’s what I felt I needed to write today. It has been a...
24/10/2025

I don’t know if this is for you or for me or for all of us…but that’s what I felt I needed to write today.

It has been a week 😓

And it’s tempting to keep ploughing through like a bulldozer but this weekend feels special. We have 2 Birthdays in the house…(well one next week) but 16 feels like a big one here.

Every part of me wanted to plan a gathering or do something momentous, but my Scorpio boy is chilled. And really - it’s his Birthday, it needs to be his rules.

I’m remembering the 29 year old me - bursting at the seams (in more ways than one) this time 16 years ago. I was so filled with excitement and curiosity about who this little person was going to be and my body was quite literally expanding with love every second.

This year I don’t want to bounce through the weekend checking off to do lists - I want to remember it all.

I want to exhale and reflect and take it all in. I will breathe in some of his scorpio chilledness ❤️

So this is my advice to you - be brave and pause.

Exhale; let the week melt away.

Put the to-do list down.

Make space for whatever’s here…the good, the messy and the in-between.

Here’s to soft moments, deep breaths and presence this weekend.

̇day

How often are you waiting for things to be better?! We’ll be close again when…We’ll have that chat when…The list is endl...
22/10/2025

How often are you waiting for things to be better?!

We’ll be close again when…

We’ll have that chat when…

The list is endless. But life rarely slows down on its own.

Unfortunately connection doesn’t wait for the calm to arrive. It’s built in the middle of the chaos.

Start small, but start somewhere.

Let that look last a little longer; the end of the day cuddle be a little more intentional; let that moment of actual presence where you listen to hear, not to move on happen today.

Honestly time is slippery. This isn’t to guilt or shame you. I am in the when x happens it will be easier camp too.
But I also have years of evidence and experience working with humans like you to say that micro changes make bigger changes.

There’s no perfect season for love. If you keep waiting for the right time, you’re missing out on what’s right in front of you now.

Be messy and imperfect, but be intentional.

❤️

For many, this pattern begins long before the relationship. Learning that love is something we earn by being ‘easy’ to l...
21/10/2025

For many, this pattern begins long before the relationship.

Learning that love is something we earn by being ‘easy’ to love, selfless or compliant. So it’s easy to choose harmony over honesty - to keep the peace and stay quiet.

But connection shouldn’t be at the cost of authenticity.

Slowly that quiet self-abandonment wears you down.
You might experience heightened anxiety when you’re apart, resentful when you’re together or unsure of what you even want.

These are subtle signs that you’ve drifted away from yourself.

Love shouldn’t come at the cost of yourself or your sparkle. It should always be complimenting these unique and beautiful parts of you.

If this lands for you, save it as a reminder to honour yourself - even in love or especially in love ❤️

‘But I feel fine, it’s not a big deal’ is a classic line I hear consistently in therapy. You may feel okay — but they d...
21/10/2025

‘But I feel fine, it’s not a big deal’ is a classic line I hear consistently in therapy.

You may feel okay — but they don’t - EVEN when you’ve said sorry.

The thing is, sorry is only ever as useful as the understanding behind it.

Recognising both of your experiences shifts everything.

When we minimise each others feelings, you’ll stir up more conflict, not calm it.

❤️ Validation isn’t - I’m wrong, you’re right; it signals care and attention and will fast track you to resolution.

An ‘us’ mentality can only ever exist when you see that both of you exist as separate people, with separate thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Save this for when the volume turns up. And if you need some help, get in touch.

Address

York
YO23

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 5pm - 8pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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