About Dr Ashley Frew

I completed my training at Murdoch University, including a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with First Class Honours, Master of Applied Psychology (Clinical Psychology), and a PhD with a focus on chronic pain. Over a decade of study in psychology helped me develop a strong understanding of the mind–body connection and how biological, physiological, psychological, and life factors interact.

Whilst completing my PhD, I worked as a Clinical Psychology Registrar in a multidisciplinary chronic pain program at Fremantle Hospital and in rehabilitation settings including the Harry Hunter Rehabilitation Centre, supporting individuals with substance misuse and complex life challenges. I became registered as a Clinical Psychologist in 2000 and began my career in private practice. I provided therapy to individuals over several years in a colleague’s private practice (Belmont Counselling Clinic), learning to appreciate the importance of spirituality on a person’s well-being.

In 2006, I established my own private practice in the metropolitan area and have been providing my own style of therapy now for over 26 years.

In addition to private practise, I have worked extensively across publicly funded referral pathways, including the Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) program, providing psychological support to individuals with limited financial access to services. These experiences have shaped my appreciation of the diverse life circumstances people face and the importance of accessible, compassionate support.

Over the past 26 years, I have developed a private practice working with older adolescents and adults presenting with a diverse range of psychological, relational, and psychosocial concerns. My areas of particular clinical interest have evolved over time and encompass emotional regulation and wellbeing, attachment and interpersonal functioning, identity and self-concept, neurodivergence, developmental and life-stage transitions, trauma and loss, and the reciprocal relationship between psychological and physical health. I am particularly interested in understanding difficulties within their broader developmental, relational, and contextual framework, rather than viewing symptoms in isolation.

I bring an integrative and individualised perspective to my work, combining the depth and self-understanding of psychodynamic therapy with evidence-based, practical approaches suited to each person's needs. I value the privilege of being invited into people's lives during periods of uncertainty, distress, transition, or change, and aim to offer a therapeutic relationship that is genuine, collaborative, and grounded in respect. My goal is not simply to help people feel better in the short term, but to support lasting changes in how they understand themselves, relate to others, and approach their lives.

After more than two decades in private practice, I continue to value the curiosity, trust, and human connection at the heart of this work.