Hi! I’m Ash Alves,
I am a writer, spiritual life coach, and trainee psychotherapist, who helps to guide others on their journey of self-examination and healing.
My Story
As a child, I always felt different. Hearing comments like “you’re too sensitive” made me feel ashamed of being myself. I couldn’t control the intensity of my inner world; everything around me became overwhelming. Growing up in a dysfunctional environment left no room for vulnerability. Consequently, I developed a tough exterior, not allowing people to get too close. I shut myself off from experiencing the rejection I felt as a child.
In 2017, I hit rock bottom. The way I existed in the world, repeating the patterns of my upbringing, isolating myself from connections, feeling insecure, and hating myself, made life excruciating every single day. I found myself crippled by anxiety, depression, and a constant feeling of inadequacy.
During this dark period, I began writing my feelings on paper out of desperation, seeking an outlet to process the chaos that imprisoned my mind. Through writing, I discovered my voice. At rock bottom, I decided to give life another chance. I found the courage to face myself and take action to address the chaos that surrounded me. It wasn’t an overnight process, but I now understand that everything I experienced led me to the path I am on today.
“Sometimes the foundation falls apart because it was built with weak material. Chaos gives us an opportunity to rebuild stronger and better.” – Ash Alves
My journey as a healing writer began during this challenging phase of my life. I turned my pain into my testimony. My work reflects the lessons and self-discovery journey I am currently on. If you are facing a roadblock or a breakdown, I am here to provide you with the tools to help you reach the other side – the side where joy, peace, abundance, and love reside.
The vision
I envision a world where illuminating one’s soul and journeying towards wholeness is a top priority. In this world, love serves as the foundational principle guiding our interactions with both ourselves and others.
My mission is to shine a light on the impact of social injustice on people’s ability to achieve self-actualisation. As bell hooks poignantly expressed, “being oppressed means the absence of choices”. I dare to dream of a world where oppressive forces, including white supremacists, capitalists, imperialists, colonialists, and patriarchal structures, are not just dismantled but uprooted. I envision a world where access to life’s essentials – food, water, shelter, and clothing – is recognised as an inherent birthright. Love, liberation, self-determination, and accountability lie at the heart of the systems governing our existence. It’s a world where healing possesses the transformative power to change not only ourselves but also the very fabric of our shared reality.
Guiding principles
Transformative justice
Structural oppression affects peoples’ ability to self-actualise and spiritually evolve. I believe we deserve to live in a world where people come over profits. I envision a world where oppressive systems are overhauled and rebuilt upon a foundation of love, liberation, accountability and self-determination.
Self-enquiry
Self-enquiry is how we develop an understanding of ourselves. By looking within and asking ourselves the difficult questions, we learn about our thoughts, behaviours, patterns, and inner motivations. Self-enquiry sheds light on the deepest aspects of ourselves. It helps us to understand how we participate in creating our reality. Self-enquiry is the process that returns us back to our inner power.
Compassion
Compassion is at the core of my work. It is about acknowledging that we are doing the best we can with what’s available to us. Compassion requires us to recognise that we are deserving of self-forgiveness and care. It is a reminder that we are still worthy, valuable, and loveable no matter what.