My career for 30+ years was in Education – not as a teacher, but as a school business leader. Part of my HR role involved looking after staff, and as a Mental Health Champion, I watched a steady increase in the importance of staff wellbeing and how many people were suffering with mental health issues and needing a variety of emotional support.

 

I attended numerous workshops, conferences and training courses to do with mental health awareness and wellbeing and became an advocate for good mental health in the workplace and a mental health first aider. This led to me taking a huge life change and I decided a couple of years ago that this was what I wanted to totally focus on. So, I left my school and studied full time to obtain my counselling qualifications (focusing on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy).

           

I qualified as a counsellor in July 2021 and was fortunate enough to secure a contract by November in a sixth form. This work has meant I have researched a lot more on adolescents since qualifying - I have a very good rapport with teenagers and my methods appear to be helping a lot of young adults. The school pays for my service so the counselling is 'free' for the students.

 

This method can also be used by businesses wanting to benefit their employees - the company pays for me to be available onsite as a 'drop-in' clinic and the staff receive 'free' emotional support. 

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I am trained in creative and therapeutic counselling techniques for children and teenagers which means for younger individuals I can explore emotions and feelings through ‘play’ (i.e. using cards, games, artwork,
toys). I am currently working in a couple of primary schools for 1 day per week for each school supporting children with an array of emotional needs from Reception to Year 6.

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I am a qualified Drawing and Talking Practitioner. This therapy is a child-centred, play-based approach. 1-2-1 interventions focus on supporting the social and emotional wellbeing of young people. It provides an effective way for them to process emotional pain and trauma. The programme takes place over 12 weeks (30 minutes per session). See Services for more information.

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I have a diploma in DBT and use these powerful mindfulness skills to help individuals accept their reality and then work towards changing in effective behaviour patterns to reach new goals.

 

Please contact me if your employees or students need emotional support. I usually spend a day onsite, one day a week, and see up to 7 clients - for most of them 6-8 sessions are enough to enable them understand themselves better and develop their own coping skills. This enables the individual to work out what works for them and empowers them to feel stronger and more resilient – leading to better attendance/productivity in many instances – and assists them with maintaining motivation and focus. All the coping skills are invaluable life tools which individuals can adapt and use during life’s bumpy road.

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Educational settings can also benefit from my 'supervision' sessions, offered to DSLs, DDSLs, Outreach Workers, HSLWs and other relevant staff dealing often with upsetting cases.

 

I also offer online/telephone sessions privately for individuals who are struggling with their feelings and emotions. These easy to access online appointments mean locality isn't an issue and you can talk, for example, from the comfort of your own home or perhaps during your lunchbreak. Evening and weekend appointments also available.