I retrained as a counsellor in 2007 after more than 20 years in the flooring and service industry. Working with individuals on a daily basis allowed me to develop my ability to form relationships and understand the different perspectives of the people I worked with. This soon became the most enjoyable part of my work. Having spent many hours in the homes of clients, I often listened to the life stories of individuals who were isolated or lonely and this helped me to see the benefit of just listening empathically. It set me on a course to retrain as a counsellor.

Training for me, was a life-changing experience. Learning the theories on how we think and feel about the world and ourselves made a lot of sense to me. Applying those theories to myself and my world allowed me to change the way I saw myself and my situation, reinforcing my belief and understanding of the beneficial effects of counselling on a personal level. For me, the strength of the therapeutic relationship comes from working in a collaborative manner based on trust and understanding enabling individuals to truly come to grips with the issues faced in a safe non-judgmental environment.

I offer online and telephone counselling to help clients manage and cope with problems they are facing in the present and longer-term psychotherapy to explore the root cause of issues they may be experiencing relating to feelings and past experiences and how this has impacted on their sense of self, confidence and self-esteem.