Counselling is a very private and personal experience. I believe people have the capacity to grow and change their lives when they are ready and willing to do so. When a decision is made to start this journey it is both an honour and a privilege to be by your side and before embarking on this journey it can be useful for you to have an essence of who I am to help you decide if I am the right person for you.
My own counselling journey started with an interest in self- development and self-improvement and I became an avid reader of many self-help books. I’ve always been curious and keen to understand why people become stuck in life and wanted to help identify tools to change, develop and improve lives.
My work has always revolved around helping people. I initially started as a hairdresser, an occupation that often has been described as the unpaid therapist and later I became involved in helping people back into work. It was here that I became curious about the struggles people experienced in life.
I became a Support Worker for a local charity who supported people with mental health issues. The focus of the charity was to keep people out of hospital and maintain wellness. I am now a Senior Support Worker for the charity and it has enabled me to gain valuable experience for my counselling work, which I started over 12 years ago.
I’m a mother of two adult children and have had many life experiences which have inspired me to take the path I have chosen. I love walking and exploring the local area with family and friends as part of my self-care. The hobby I’m most passionate about is my running and can often be seen out and about training. Sometimes it’s just for fun, but occasionally I get involved in a race or two and often for charity. I do slow down sometimes and find art therapeutic, some of which you may see on my Facebook page.
Life has taught me that learning never ends, it’s a life long experience. Along the way we will have many teachers and many situations that provide opportunities to learn and grow from. Sometimes we can manage these opportunities in life and sometimes we need a helping hand. I struggled initially, but soon learnt it was okay to ask for help when I needed it and I hope you can too.
Best wishes
Julie