Counsellor in Wallington, Surrey

My background is in nursing, and I left a 20-year nursing career in the NHS after experiencing my own emotional troubles, including relationship stress and work burnout. Both having a negative impact on my life and well-being. Having my own counselling/therapy gave me a new sense of freedom that I had not experienced before. Experiencing a secure relationship without conditions and feeling like I mattered was life changing. It was like wearing a new pair of glasses, seeing things I couldn't see before, opened up to choices I was unaware I had (like X-Ray vision). I felt such a strong sense of empowerment to take control of my life and decided I wanted to do the same for others.

I took a 4-year training pathway to become a qualified counsellor and have not looked back. My counselling career has included working in a low-cost counselling service with clients who were struggling with difficult life issues such as problems at work, imposter syndrome, relationship breakdown, low self-esteem, bereavement. Others had common mental health issues such as anxiety, depression or struggling with overwhelming emotions.

I have also worked in an NHS service (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies/IAPT) for people with anxiety and depression. More recently I have moved further into private work.