About Me

About me

Many people become counsellors after their own experience of how beneficial therapy can be. My route was slightly different: For many years I ran a shop and café, and during that time I employed several young people. Spending time with them taught me so much, and I was particularly impressed with their openness about mental health. It was all very different to the prevailing attitudes in society when I was growing up.

The difficult years of the Covid-19 pandemic brought mental health issues into sharp focus, and my interest grew. I had been looking to change my career, and started to wonder if there was a way for me to channel that interest. Six months later, I started my first training course in counselling skills.

My training required me to undertake many hours of personal therapy. It was hard. My counsellor called me out when I hid my pain behind humour, or tried to spend the whole session talking about other people rather than myself. I did not like looking at myself, questioning my long-held beliefs, trying to actually name my emotions. So yes, it was hard, but it helped me to understand myself so much better.