About Me
My own mental health journey has been up and down over the years. From moments of, who am I, what is life’s purpose, to moments of joy that filled my heart. In the early days I didn’t have the resilience to bounce back, and all I knew was that I was in some form of automatic survivor mode. Even though I seemed to have mastered the art of hiding my emotions behind a shield, the impact of experiences and events still affected me.
I tried to find ways of making sense of what was happening, but never found the answers. All I kept thinking was, why me?
I moved through life knowing I was different, not really understanding why others didn’t seem to feel the same or see the world as I saw it. My protective shield meant I didn’t make close connections with friends, with anyone in fact. I couldn’t let anyone in, even though that’s what I craved. Despite operating from behind a mask, I realised that I had a gift, a gift of knowing what others felt without them even uttering any words. This gift proved invaluable in protecting me and my ability in relating to others. As I moved through life, I had this insatiable drive to understand what makes us tick, why we do the things we do, and how some of us can heal deep rooted wounds.
Training to be a counsellor was a natural part of my journey and one that I had wanted to explore in my late 20’s. However, a wise man said, ‘you aren’t ready’, and how right he was. In my late 40’s I decided to retrain, fast forward to the present day and here I am, a fully trained counsellor.
My journey of discovering the self has not been without its own ups and downs but having the ability to lean into moments of ‘difficultness’ has meant I can relate in a more compassionate and genuine way to clients who walk through my therapy room door.
I am not the expert on the client, the client is, but what I do is help explore the shadows, gain an understanding of their why, and hold a safe space for them to look inside themselves to understand the self-better. Since qualifying, I have honed my therapeutic style which natural, organic and genuine. This allows me to effectively meet the diverse needs of individuals seeking therapy.
I create a safe, non-judgemental space where individuals feel comfortable in expressing themselves to be able to explore their thoughts, feelings and experiences. Flexibility and adaptability are key aspects of my therapy style, as I recognise that everyone is unique, and what works for one, may not necessarily work for another.
Ultimately, my aim is to empower individuals to tap into their own strengths and resources, develop coping strategies, whilst fostering positive changes that lead to an improved feeling of well-being. By offering a personalised and holistic approach to therapy, I support individuals in achieving their therapeutic goals to living more meaningful and authentic lives.