My Route to Becoming a Therapist
​My path into this work didn’t begin in a classroom or a training course, it began in the real, complicated, beautiful, painful places of life where we learn what it means to care for others and to be changed by the people we meet.
Where It Started
I originally trained as a Primary School teacher, and very quickly I realised that what I loved most wasn’t the curriculum, it was the children themselves.
I found myself drawn to the relational side of the role: supporting children who were struggling, working alongside social workers and educational psychologists, and being part of the network that held looked‑after children.
Even then, I was most alive when I was helping someone feel seen, understood, and supported.
Life Shifted, and So Did I
After the loss of both of my parents, and becoming the sole caregiver for my then two young children, and my grandmother as her dementia accelerated, the emotional and practical demands of teaching became impossible to sustain.
Life asked more of me than I had capacity for, and I had to make choices that honoured both my wellbeing and my responsibilities.
I moved into supporting adult learners, especially lone parents completing NVQ qualifications.
I loved this work the confidence‑building, the personal development, the moments where someone realised they were capable of more than they’d been led to believe.
I saw the ripple effect of support, and it changed me. It showed me that helping someone reconnect with their own strength and potential is one of the most meaningful things a person can do.
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Coaching, Complexity, and the Deepening of My Work
From there, I moved into coaching, working with adults and young people facing significant barriers to work and wellbeing.
People came with anxiety, depression, low confidence, addiction, domestic violence, offending histories, and complex mental and physical health challenges.
I was humbled by their courage. I felt privileged that people trusted me with their stories. And I became deeply motivated to understand the person in front of me not just their behaviour, but their history, their nervous system, their adaptations, their pain, and their potential.
This work changed the direction of my life.
Training, Learning, and Following What Felt True
I began training independently, reading widely, taking courses, and integrating new learning into my practice. My development was guided by the needs of the people I worked with their challenges, their barriers, their hopes and all the messiness and chaos that life can throw at us.
Over time, I added therapeutic modalities, including Brainspotting, and eventually completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy Professional Practice through a BACP‑accredited programme.
This is one of the most rigorous routes to becoming a fully registered counsellor and psychotherapist, and it means my work is grounded in professional standards, ethical practice, and a deep understanding of the therapeutic process.
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Who I Am as a Therapist Today
All of these experiences; personal, professional, relational, have shaped the therapist I am now.
I am someone who:
• sees the whole person, not just the problem
• understands that behaviour is adaptation, not failure
• believes in the nervous system’s capacity to heal
• values humility, humanity, and genuine connection
• is committed to doing whatever it takes to support meaningful change
• holds deep respect for the courage it takes to seek help and maintain a healing journey.
My aim is always to help people live lighter, freer, and closer to their genuine and innate self.
This work is not just my profession, it is my calling, my passion, and one of the greatest privileges of my life.
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I am genuinely honoured when someone chooses to work and put their trust in our work.
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