Paul Madden

I am a BACP-accredited counsellor and psychotherapist with over 20 years’ professional experience across counselling, health and social care. I work with adults experiencing anxiety, stress and burnout, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, low mood, self-esteem issues, identity concerns, life transitions and feeling emotionally overwhelmed or stuck.
I have particular experience in grief and bereavement, sexual health and LGBTQ+ issues, alongside supporting people through significant changes in their health, relationships and lives.
My approach is integrative, which means I tailor counselling to you rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. I believe the relationship between counsellor and client is central to effective therapy, and I work in a warm, straightforward and collaborative way.
You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from counselling. You may want to understand yourself better, make sense of difficult emotions or experiences, recognise patterns in your life or relationships, or find a different way forward.
I offer face-to-face counselling in Ashford, Kent, as well as online and telephone counselling across the UK. Both short-term and longer-term counselling are available depending on your needs.
If you’re unsure whether counselling is right for you, I offer a free 15-minute introductory call. This gives you an opportunity to ask questions, find out how I work and decide whether I feel like the right counsellor for you, with no obligation to continue.

I’m an experienced BACP-accredited counsellor and psychotherapist with a professional background spanning counselling, mental health, sexual health, grief and bereavement, and health and social care.

Throughout my career, I’ve supported people through some of the most difficult and uncertain periods of their lives. I understand that people come to counselling for many different reasons. You may be struggling with anxiety, grief or loss, difficulties in a relationship, stress or burnout, low self-esteem, questions around identity or sexuality, or simply feeling overwhelmed or stuck.

You may also be someone who appears to be coping well on the outside. Perhaps you’re used to being the person others rely on, while finding it much harder to talk about what’s happening for you. You don’t need to be in crisis or have everything worked out before coming to counselling.

Earlier in my career, I spent many years working within NHS sexual health services, supporting people with HIV, herpes and other sexual health concerns, as well as issues around relationships, sexuality and identity. This gave me a particular understanding of how experiences of stigma, shame, rejection and concerns around intimacy can affect how we see ourselves and relate to other people.

I also have significant experience supporting people affected by serious illness, dying, grief and bereavement. I recognise that loss and major changes in our lives can bring complicated and sometimes conflicting emotions, and that there is no single or ‘right’ way to respond.

My approach is warm, straightforward and collaborative. I won’t tell you what you should do or how you should feel. Instead, I’ll work alongside you to understand what’s happening, explore the experiences or patterns that may be affecting you, and help you find a way forward that feels right for you.

Above all, I want counselling to be somewhere you can speak openly and be yourself without feeling judged. Whatever brings you to therapy, we can start with where you are.