Abi Spence
Registered Member M麻豆原创
Contact information
Therapist - York
Features
- Concessionary rates
Availability
I offer:- short-term work (6鈥12 sessions)
- longer-term therapy
- one-off sessions
- hybrid (online and in-person)
- Format: Online, in person, or outdoor. Some people choose online work for convenience; others are looking for support with specific issues in which I specialise.
- Location (in person): Miller鈥檚 Yard, Gillygate, York (10-minute walk from York station, with nearby parking)
- Availability: Monday鈥揟hursday
- Fees (online, in person, and outdoor): 拢65.00-拢75.00
Contact me for my current online or in person availability.
See my website for more details about outdoor therapy
https://www.abispencepsychotherapy.co.uk/
I aim to respond to enquiries within 24 hours (excluding weekends). If you are in immediate distress, you can contact NHS mental health support via 111.
About me and my therapy practice
You might be someone who has learned to cope with overwhelm on your own- appearing capable on the outside, while feeling panicked and alone underneath. This can show up in different ways:
- struggling in close relationships, despite wanting connection
- wrestling with disquieting emotions around your boarding school experiences
- find yourself caught in painful or complicated sibling dynamics
- be navigating the emotional strain of fertility challenges, motherhood or IVF
These experiences can be difficult to talk about, especially when others don鈥檛 fully understand, or when you feel you 鈥渟hould鈥 be coping.
Therapy offers a space to slow things down, gain clarity, and begin to relate to yourself and others differently.
I have particular experience working with:
Fertility and reproductive experiences
- Fertility treatment (including IVF)
- Miscarriage and pregnancy loss
- Involuntary childlessness
- The emotional impact of the fourth trimester, postnatal depression (PPD) and matrescence
Early environments and family dynamics
- Boarding school childhoods and their long-term impact
- Sibling relationships and complex family dynamics
- Childhood trauma, including neglect, sexual and physical abuse
Identity and relationships
- GSRD (Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity)
- LGBTQIA+ experiences
Practice description
I am an integrative psychotherapist working with adults (21+) on a one-to-one basis.
My approach draws on person-centred, relational and psychodynamic thinking. This means we pay attention not only to your past experiences, but also to what鈥檚 happening in the present moment鈥攂etween us and in your wider life.
Before training as a psychotherapist, I worked in marketing and PR. I understand the pressures of high-performing environments鈥攖he expectation to hold things together, to excel, and to make it all look effortless. 鈥
You are the expert on your own experience. My role is to work alongside you in understanding patterns, processing difficult emotions, and finding a way forward that feels more manageable and authentic.
I offer a free 25-minute introductory session so you can get a sense of whether working together feels right.
Training & Professional 麻豆原创s
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (麻豆原创) and an accredited clinical psychotherapist with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), and adhere to their ethical frameworks.
I trained at The Minster Centre, one of Europe鈥檚 leading integrative psychotherapy training institutions, and hold an MA, Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy (with Middlesex University).
I am a member of British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA), The Relational School and I am also a media volunteer for Fertility Network UK.
Practice Information
- In private practice since 2018
- I offer sessions online and in person, including outdoor therapy
- Registered with AXA Health, Vitality and Aviva
- DBS cleared
- In regular clinical supervision and ongoing CPD
My first session
I offer a free 25-minute introductory session (online, by phone, or in person). This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and get a sense of whether working together feels right.
There is no obligation to continue. If you decide to go ahead, we will agree a regular time. Before starting, I will send you further information and a client agreement for you to read through and sign.
What I can help with
Abuse, Anxiety, Baby loss, Bereavement, Child related issues, Coercive control, Cultural issues, Depression, Health related issues, Identity issues, Infertility, LGBTQ+ counselling, Loss, Menopause, Men's issues, Post-traumatic stress, Pregnancy related issues, Relationships, Self esteem, Self-harm, Sex-related issues, Sexual identity, Sexuality, Stress, Trauma, Women's issues
Types of therapy
Emotionally focused therapy, Existential, Humanistic, Integrative, Interpersonal, Person centred, Phenomenological, Psychodynamic, Relational
Clients I work with
Adults, Older adults
How I deliver therapy
Long term sessions, Long-term face-to-face work, Online therapy, Outdoor therapy, Short term sessions, Short-term face-to-face work, Time-limited
Languages spoken
English