“In my early professional years I was asking the question, How can I treat, or cure, or change this person? Now I would phrase the question in this way: How can I provide a relationship which this person may use for his own personal growth?”

When looking for a counsellor myself, the first thing I wanted to know was a little bit about the person I might be going to enter into therapy with. 

Yes of course I was interested in their qualifications, (I’m a member of the BACP (British Association of Counsellor and Psychotherapists) and hold a Diploma in Counselling Practice) .but most importantly I wanted to know if they could help me feel better. 

My first encounter with counselling was back in 2001, when my partner died suddenly. My Mum arranged for me to have some bereavement counselling through a connection at her church and it was such a valuable and important experience.

Knowing that I could sit and rant, not feel judged, and the counsellor was completely impartial to family and friends was incredibly therapeutic. I can clearly remember thinking '' One day I'd love to be able to help other people in a way that this lady has helped me''

There have been plenty of 'Lemons' in the years since then, but it wasn’t really until almost 20 years later, when my children were struggling with anxiety (related to ADHD, Covid, bereavement, relationships) that I began to explore counselling skills in a more professional way.

At a similar time I was running creative workshops for Mums with low mood, alongside a friend who was a psychotherapist, and was very inspired to develop my skills for workshops in the future.

As part of gaining my Diploma in Counselling, I have had extensive personal therapy and continue to do so. My practice is also supervised, which means that I meet with my supervisor twice a month to address any work related personal issues, and self-care. 

Six facts about me:

I love dog walking and could walk for miles (Dogs are great for self care and therapy 🐶)

I'm also a Creative Product Designer 🎨

I used to work as a Project Manager in the Construction industry 👷‍♀️

My favourite places are forests🌳

My favourite holiday ever was a trip to New York 🗽

My favourite colour is Green 💚 (erm if you hadn't guessed already)