You don't always have to be the strong one
If you've spent your life looking after other people, responding to difficult situations or being the person others rely on, asking for help can feel uncomfortable.
You may be used to keeping things to yourself.
You may tell yourself:
“I'll deal with it.”
“Other people have been through worse.”
“I should be able to cope.”
“I don't want to burden anyone.”
But coping doesn't mean you have to carry everything alone.
Counselling can give you a confidential, non-judgemental space where you can talk openly about what's happening for you — without having to be the strong one for everyone else.
Trauma & PTSD
When something happened, but your mind and body haven't been able to leave it behind.
Traumatic experiences can affect us long after the event itself has ended.
You might experience anxiety, intrusive memories, nightmares, anger, guilt, emotional numbness, difficulties sleeping or relationships that don't feel the same anymore.
Sometimes you may not even think of yourself as having experienced trauma.
You simply know that something from the past is still affecting your life now.
Trauma is a particular area of interest for me. My undergraduate dissertation explored working with veterans experiencing PTSD, which developed my interest in the longer-term impact of traumatic experiences.
My approach is person-centred. I won't make assumptions about your experiences or tell you how you should feel.
We work together, at your pace.
Service Personnel, Veterans & Emergency Responders
A space where your experiences don't need to be explained away.
My practice has a particular focus on trauma-related difficulties and supporting:
Serving military personnel
Veterans
Reservists
Service families
Police officers
Firefighters
Paramedics and ambulance staff
Other emergency responders and people working in demanding frontline roles
You may be struggling with something connected to your work or service, or you may be dealing with something completely separate.
You might be experiencing anxiety, anger, sleep difficulties, difficult memories, relationship problems, loss of purpose or difficulty adjusting to life after service.
You don't need to have a diagnosis or know exactly what's wrong before asking for support.
Coaching
What comes next?
Not every challenge requires counselling.
Sometimes you're looking towards the future and asking:
“What's next for me?”
Perhaps you're leaving the military or emergency services. Maybe you've already left and are finding it difficult to work out who you are outside of your previous role.
Or perhaps you're ready for a change, but don't know which direction to take.
Coaching can help you explore:
Confidence
Direction and purpose
Career decisions
Life transitions
Goals and motivation
Identity after a major change
Creating a plan for your next chapter
You don't need to know exactly what you want before you start.
Sometimes you simply need space to stop, think and work out what's important to you.
My approach
Person-centred. Collaborative.
Non-judgemental.
I believe you are the expert in your own experience.
My role isn't to tell you what you should think, feel or do.
Instead, I offer a warm and accepting space where you can explore what's happening in your life and decide what feels right for you.
We work together at a pace that feels manageable.
You don't need to arrive with the right words.
You don't need to have everything figured out.
You can simply start with where you are.
Counselling or coaching?
It can be difficult to know which is right for you.
Counselling
Counselling may be appropriate if you're experiencing emotional difficulties, anxiety, low mood, relationship difficulties, trauma or the effects of past experiences.
Coaching
Coaching is generally more future-focused and can help with confidence, direction, decisions, goals, motivation and life transitions.
If you're unsure, that's okay.
We can talk about what you're looking for and work out which type of support may be most appropriate.
You don't have to carry it alone
You may have spent years being the person others depend on.
You may have learned to keep going no matter what.
But there is nothing wrong with having somewhere to put things down.
Asking for support isn't a sign of weakness.
It's okay to look after yourself too.
If you're ready to talk, I'm here to listen.
1 2 1 Here For You
Confidential counselling & coaching
Online and face-to-face appointments available.
Limited reduced-fee places may be available for service personnel, veterans and emergency responders.