I think it is always helpful to get a sense of someone before working with them, so I have written this piece with an attempt to demonstrate some of my credentials and experience.

I trained for 6 years initially as a psychotherapist going on to complete systemic practitioner training at the Tavistock centre. Adding in ICF credential coach training with an intention to support clients who were looking for additional ways of working which did not require weekly appointments, I wanted to incorporate and integrate my learning to support people in ways that met individual needs.

To share a little of my background, I have worked within mental health organisations, both NHS and private, and delivered training for a wide variety of businesses from premiership football clubs to the charity sector and into corporate organisations that want to have conversations around wellbeing incorporating different perspectives.

As the former mental health lead for a countywide family counselling service, I championed a truly trauma-informed approach. Rather than using diagnostic labels, we asked a simple but powerful question: 'What has happened to you?' instead of 'What is wrong with you?'

Even while working closely with NHS and social services, where medical model dominates, we maintained this human-centered perspective. This experience deepened my systemic approach, seeing people as whole individuals shaped by their experiences rather than defined by symptoms. Current research continues to validate this perspective, showing how our challenges often reflect our stories rather than pathology.