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PASSIONATE ABOUT ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO LIVE THEIR MOST AUTHENTIC LIVES
​As a trained and qualified counselling therapist it is a passion of mine to help and support people through difficult times in life. Creating a safe, non-judgmental and empathic space for feelings to be expressed, heard and explored. Even in my teens, I was always the agony aunt at school, having the ability to look at problems from different perspectives and providing emotional support to my friends and family members growing up.
Having been on my own personal journey of self-reflection, discovery, self-development and growth, I feel that much of my ability to help you on your mission, with your goals and seeing results, is as much from living it myself; going through a number of personal life changes, being a people person, travelling and working/associating with many people from so many different backgrounds, experiences, cultures and different ages and identities, all alongside my qualifications and continued professional development.
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MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND & EXPERIENCE
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After leaving The University of Salford complete with a B.Sc. Degree in Psychology and Counselling with a First Class Honours in 2007 and a Diploma in Higher Education in Counselling qualifying me to practice in 2009, I continued to volunteer as a therapist at the family support center that had been my placement while training. After relocating back to my home town, I followed an interest of mine working in the field of drugs and alcohol (I had always had a fascination in this area due to growing up in a family where alcohol use was prevalent, my psychology dissertation focused on looking into what influences people to drink ). In this role I helped heroin addicts stabalise on prescribed and controlled medication and further supported them and those with alcohol addiction in their journey of reduction and abstinence. I worked with them in a therapeutic way, exploring their behaviours and life choices, helping them to make better life decisions and integrate back into a healthier and happier way of being.
It was through this work I realised that many of the problems my clients were facing were a result of a lack of guidance and help when they were young. This encouraged me to follow an opportunity and change of career path working with young people, taking on a Counselling Coordinator and Project Lead role for the youth counselling service in the area I was living. Alongside recruiting, training and line managing volunteer counsellors, delivering, developing and running the service, I carried a high case load of young counselling clients myself, working in schools and within the community. I helped and supported these young people with a wide range of issues such as self harm, anxiety, behaviour and learning difficulties, adoption, sexual abuse, depression, bullying, anger issues for example. Whilst this was challenging, it was extremely rewarding. During my time in this role, I also found myself coaching volunteers, my staff members and teachers in their life journeys.
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I reached a point in my personal journey where I needed to take a break and focus on myself, my own growth and development (you can read about my journey here). Taking the time out from delivering therapy allowed space for me to recharge and reflect on my practice, but also the opportunity to experience and learn new things, update my skills and bring more to my approach. I soon felt compelled to start seeing clients again and did so privately from my new home I had made abroad, working with a range of adults, young people and adolescents.
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Since then, I have moved country (again!), taking my therapy work online and completing an accredited certificate in life coaching thus widening the scope of my work and the support I can offer.
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While I am highly experienced and equipped in working with a variety of different problems and mental health issues in my counselling therapy practice, in my coaching practice I have decided to niche down specifically to the areas that I have personal and meaningful experience in that I have taken a specialised and focused interest.