My qualifications and experience
I began work as a qualified counsellor since 2008. working for two organisations, ‘Spotlight’ and ‘Off the Record’. At Spotlight, a substance misuse service, I worked with clients who were addicted to drugs or alcohol, and at’Off the Record I specialised in counselling young people aged between 11-25.
In 2013, I joined The Portsmouth Counselling Service and began to support clients of all ages dealing with a wide range of issues.
A registered member of The British Association for Counsellors and Physchotherapists (BACP), I have have an Honours Degree in Humanistic Counselling from the University of Chichester with additional training in Cognitive Behaviour, Psychodynamic Therapy, Counselling Abused Clients, Play Therapy, OCD, Adapt Domestic Violence Abuse Prevention, Drug awareness, Safeguarding Children and Child Protection, Mental Health and the Developing Mind, Loss and Bereavement and Mindfulness
My story
In my late teens I lost some of my vision. It was during this particularly difficult time in my life that I was first introduced to counselling, and found out for myself how beneficial and life changing counselling could be.
Having a counsellor take the time to listen to me, seemed surreal at first. Friends and family had always given their opinions and reassurances, with the best of intentions at heart, yet being really listened to was ground-breaking for me.
Counselling was not something I would have ever considered until it was suggested to me. I can remember feeling anxious about our first meeting, purely because I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I wanted to give counselling a go and equally to go into the experience with an open mind. I am so pleased I went, Counselling gave me the space to explore my thoughts and feelings and make sense of them in my own mind. I learnt to speak from the heart, instead of the hurt, and started to feel free, to trust the choices I made and ultimately, become comfortable with who I was.
Such was the impact of the counselling I received, I decided to choose counselling as my vocation, offering the opportunity for others to benefit as I had.
“Acceptance lies in you, not in any form of words.” (Tolan, 2012)
