How I can help
I am Darren Sharpe, an accredited counsellor and attachment-based psychotherapist based in Ashford, Kent.
I work with adults in person and online, offering a confidential space where you can speak honestly and be met without judgement.My work is person-centred, humanistic and relational. This means that our sessions are shaped by you and by what feels most important in your life. I will not try to fit you into a formula or tell you who you should be.Together, we can explore what lies beneath the thoughts, feelings and patterns that may be causing you distress. This might involve looking at your relationships, earlier experiences, emotional needs or the ways you have learned to protect yourself.Attachment-based therapy can help us understand how your experiences of safety, care and connection have influenced the way you relate to yourself and other people. Developing this understanding can create space for greater self-compassion, stronger boundaries and more secure and fulfilling relationships.Therapy is not about fixing you. It is about helping you understand yourself more fully, reconnect with the parts of yourself that may have been overlooked and find a way forward that feels right for you.
Perhaps you have spent a long time putting other people first. You may be used to coping, carrying on and appearing fine, even when something inside you feels unsettled, overwhelmed or disconnected.You might be struggling with anxiety, low mood, stress or difficulties in your relationships. Perhaps the same patterns keep appearing, and although you recognise them, you are unsure why they happen or how to change them.You may also be trying to understand how your childhood, relationships or early experiences have shaped the way you see yourself and connect with others. Sometimes we know that something needs to change but cannot quite reach it on our own.
Whatever has brought you here, you do not need to have everything worked out before beginning therapy. We can start with what is happening for you now and explore it together.
My style
I bring warmth, empathy and humour into the counselling room, but I am not a therapist who simply sits back and says very little.My style is open, engaged and sometimes forthright. When it feels helpful, I will gently challenge you, ask direct questions and bring my honest responses into our work. I will not avoid difficult subjects, but we will approach them at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you.This way of working is sometimes described as dialogical. It means that therapy is a genuine conversation between two people. I bring my real self to our sessions while keeping your wellbeing and therapeutic needs at the centre of our relationship.There is room in therapy for sadness, uncertainty and difficult truths. There is also room for laughter, creativity and celebrating progress. Small changes matter, and I believe they deserve to be recognised alongside the larger breakthroughs.Clients often experience me as approachable, grounded and reassuring. My aim is to create a relationship in which you feel safe enough to be honest, curious enough to explore and supported enough to make meaningful changes.
The Philosophy of Connection
The Philosophy of Connection
Healing begins with understanding our attachment stories. My therapeutic approach is rooted in the belief that secure emotional bonds are the foundation of psychological well-being. By exploring the relationships that have shaped you, we create a space for compassion and intentional growth.
I prioritize trust, safety, and human connection in every session. Therapy is a collaborative journey where your experiences are honored, and your path to recovery is supported with professional clinical insight and genuine empathy.
Alongside my private practice, I am Chair of Trustees at Ashford Counselling Service, a local charity providing accessible and affordable counselling to people in the Ashford community.
This voluntary role allows me to contribute to the wider development and governance of counselling services locally. It reflects my commitment not only to my own clinical work, but also to supporting ethical, inclusive and sustainable counselling provision within the community.
Qualifications & Training
My work as a therapist is grounded in extensive clinical training and a deep commitment to ongoing professional development. I believe that maintaining a rigorous standard of education and staying current with the latest psychotherapeutic research allows me to provide the most effective and safe support for my clients.
Degrees & Certificates
- CPCAB Level 5 Attachment-Based Psychotherapy.
- CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- CBCAP Counselling Level 3 Certificate in Counselling
- ABC Counselling Level 2 Award in Counselling Concepts
- 2.1 BA Hons International Communication
- Equality and Diversity Certificate Level 3
- CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Autism
Specialist Training / CPD
- MS UK – Counselling people with MS
- Suicide Prevention
- Trauma / Complex Trauma
- Working with Anxiety and Chronic Stress
- Using the Autism Dialogue Approach
- Sand Tray Training
- Counselling for Multiple Sclerosis
- Shifting Perspectives on Anxiety
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Emotional Resilience
- Life Story Work
- Domestic Violence
- Understanding Personality Disorders
- Child and Adolescent Wellbeing
- Inevitability of Loss
- Mental Capacity Act
- NSPCC Child Protection
- Safeguarding vulnerable adults
- Safer Care
- Therapeutic Understanding
- Mindfulness in Counselling
- Speech Language and Communication
- Management of Aggression
- Child Protection
- GDPR
- Prevent
- Relational Depth in Counselling
- Emergency First Aid
- Safe Administration of Medication
- Emotional Attachment
- Child Development
- Health and Safety
- Nurturing Traumatised Children
- Radicalisation of Young People
- Internet Safety
- Streeet gangs and exploitation
- Female Genital Mutilation
