I started my career as a Veterinary Nurse and worked within the veterinary Industry for over 12 years. Animals were my first passion until I went to India in 2006 and worked with women in the slums of Delhi and discovered that talking and being open with others was emotionally healthy. I experienced this through the people I met and the companions I travelled with. I watched the women find great comfort and joy through talking and being. I realised that there was something about sharing and being vulnerable that was genuinely healing; the acceptance I received from others without judgement or expectation gave me motivation to start to make changes in my life and think about a new direction. There were those that saw the potential in me when I felt lost.
I understand this experience to be the beginning of my journey towards becoming a counsellor and understanding mental health. I am passionate about counselling. I could never expect my clients to be transparent and face challenges that I would not do myself. I regularly attend my own therapy and endeavour to cultivate the following personal moral qualities which I strongly believe make me an effective therapist and make me happy:
Empathy, Sincerity, Integrity, Resilience, Respect, Humility, Competence, Fairness, Wisdom & Courage
A professional and ethical therapist will have monthly supervision that is in accordance with their governing bodies recommendations. Supervision is where therapists take their work confidentially to ask questions, expand their understanding and gain support as well as have a place that they are accountable for the work they do. My governing body is the British association of Counselling and Psychotherapists (BACP). I have monthly clinical supervision and I am trained to supervise the work of other therapists and professionals.
