I am a professional, accredited counsellor, with a Masters’ Degree and Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy. I work within a person-centred framework where the health and wellbeing of clients are paramount and building a trusting, open relationship is crucial. I offer clients a safe, confidential, comfortable and warm space to enable them to reflect on and discuss the challenges they bring in an accepting, empathic, non-judgemental environment. As an integrative counsellor, I am qualified to practice within a variety of counselling approaches. This enables me to adapt my therapy to suit the needs of the individual. I believe in working collaboratively with clients and enjoy working creatively, when appropriate, alongside talking therapy, I use a range of resources to support and enable clients to explore and express themselves in ways that feel okay for them. This can include creative activities, artwork, worksheets, mind maps, questionnaires and other media. Before becoming a counsellor, I planned and delivered therapy services for many years within health and social care as a Hcpc-registered Occupational Therapist (OT) and I have worked in a variety of settings with adults and children and young people, including Reablement, Specialist Units for young people with mental health challenges, paediatrics, primary care and specialist learning disabilities services. I have a love of teaching and worked for many years as a Senior Lecturer on undergraduate OT programmes, providing educational and mentoring support to students. The pastoral aspect of my role as a lecturer was a factor in my decision to train as a counsellor alongside personal experiences of counselling services. I have a long-standing interest in child health, development and learning and am currently working as a school counsellor as well as in my own private practice. I am committed to and enjoy my work with young people immensely. I feel that the counselling with children and young people is extremely important and provides the opportunity for young people to talk through difficulties in a welcoming, caring and supportive environment and to find a way forward in addressing their struggles. Outside my counselling role I enjoy baking, gardening and am an umpire for the local hockey academy.