I’ve always been a people person
I’ve always actively worked with people in one form or another.
My first grown-up job in 1993 was as a health care assistant in an old cottage hospital working on long stay care of the elderly wards (as they were known then), often with those impacted by strokes or long-term health conditions. This was my first experience of working with brain injury. These
kinds of wards don’t even exist anymore. I really loved this job. I had so much one-to-one time with my patients to attend to their care and needs and to really listen to them.
It was here that I learned that we are all human-first, in very real ways.
I progressed to working in a brand-new build hospital working in the diagnostic radiology, the x ray department. I looked after patients’ emotional and physical well-being when in the department for any kind of scan, x ray, or investigation. I really enjoyed the personal connection I had with patients at what was usually a painful or frightening time for them and their relatives.
Looking after the most vulnerable
Becoming a parent in my 20’s put my working life on hold. When I returned, the world of nursing and caring had changed so much, and time for dedicated one-to-one care was disappearing quickly, sadly. This made me re-think.
I had a successful career in charity retail management and leadership. I worked for several well-
known national charities, like The British Heart Foundation, Sue Ryder Care and St Catherine’s
hospice.
I later began working as a foster carer and I was a vice chair of governors for a large Junior
school for 9 years; a voluntary role which took a lot of dedication, additional learning and time.
My specialism was child protection and safeguarding, developing a sound understanding of the
looked-after system and educational dynamics, and experiencing the stress of being key parts of
OFSTED inspections.
I sat on the East Riding overview and scrutiny committee for children and young people for
several years as the Junior/Infant School representative. I was very active in these roles which
were very rewarding in different ways, I learned a lot.
The therapist calling
Turning 30, I came to a point in my life where I felt it was time to make some significant decisions, and one of these was to begin lengthy training as a therapist. I studied part time for one year followed by full time for 3 years to obtain my honours degree, experiencing all the difficult realities and challenges which come with this choice of career.
When I was training to be a therapist, I attended many many hours of mandatory therapy myself. This deepened my understanding of the counselling process and the importance of the relationship between a therapist and a client. I’ve continued to engage in personal therapy since then, because “life happens” and we need to take responsibility to care for and value ourselves, we are all human first.
I believe it is essential a therapist continues to work on their own self-awareness and has access to appropriate personal and professional support throughout their career not just during training.
The power of therapy
Over years, therapy has enabled me to work through my own life experiences, my pain of losses
and trauma, the prolonged deep depression I experienced and re-visited, my personal struggles to
survive and learn to live with chronic health conditions and at times to just keep going in a life at
times I didn’t think I could anymore.
I understand from the inside, the value of investing in personal therapy with a well-trained and
experienced professional. I cherish the importance and deep value of those relationships.
I came to realise that how I was feeling, at times, was not all together as a result of something
current. The root of it, or the core of the issue, was in my history. When I returned to this –
supported by my therapist to do so – I began to understand the coping strategies and defence
mechanisms I had created and used, had become maladaptive.
I was able to work towards finally freeing myself from things I had carried for years. I could facilitate this experience for you too.
Over time I have worked in many different therapeutic environments and in different ways, gaining so much experience, knowledge and wisdom along the way.
Having worked as an NHS sub-contractor, as an associate therapist in several different settings and a private therapist for years, I was encouraged by my own supervisor to consider my career direction and growth given the experience I had accrued. After careful consideration I decided
to train as a supervisor in 2015 with the well-established and respected Northern Guild. I continued to access training and developed my knowledge and understanding.
Moving online
A few years from there, the pandemic arrived which coincided with my post graduate training to become a Traumatologist (a trauma specialist in PTSD & cPTSD) and requiring I, along with many other supervisors, becoming a certified online therapist and supervisor as the world changed.
I now offer online therapy, supervision, consultancy and training to professionals, those in training and interested others, to people in the UK and worldwide – and this is where it seems our paths have crossed.
I am a Christian, and I work consistently with clients who have no faith, have Christian faith, or who have another faith or spiritual belief which is important to them. I am happy to discuss this with you should you have any questions.