Life has been quite challenging for me over the last few years. As indeed, it has for so many of us. Like many others I’ve had to make changes to my life and recently I found myself in the position where I had to decide if I was going to continue working as a therapist or pack up my boots for good.

Person sitting on top of a sand dune, only their boots visible as they look across the desert to the setting sun.

I set up my own independent counselling practice back in 2014 and it grew steadily. I loved the work and learnt so much as the counselling hours stacked up. When lock-down came in 2020, I quickly pivoted to online work and had never been busier. It was a struggle at times to manage the work load and eventually the time came when I realised that perhaps it would be wise to follow my own good advice and practice some meaningful self-care!

Things stabilised, and I made sure I kept my caseload manageable, looked after myself as well as others and all was well. Until I discovered that my father was dying. My wonderful supervisor supported me through the process of winding down my practice over a few months and everything was put on hold. I’ll never regret the time I spent with my parents over those months. It was a challenging but beautiful experience and when it was over, I took some much-needed rest and let myself mourn and ponder.

So, I’ve been pondering, and this is where it led me.

Old fashioned type writer. It has a sheet of paper in with the heading - Review.
Woman's face. The woman is white with short brown hair. In front of bookshelves, smiling.
Three people standing, visible from the waist down. Each one holds a different Pride flag.
A small group of candles burning. The flames are visible in the dark.

Therapy can genuinely be life changing and this is something I’ve heard from clients over the years. I’ve seen people become more confident, more engaged with life and more excited by it. I’ve heard people describe changes they’ve made in their working lives and personal lives and how they’ve benefited from these. I’ve seen people work through traumatic memories and find themselves able to go on with their lives and flourish. Being a part of this is wonderful.

Times are hard. More and more of us are struggling financially. Housing is precarious, the climate crisis is worsening and both politicians and the media seem set on dividing us by stirring up racism, fear and hatred of asylum seekers, transphobia, hatred of travelers etc. These things weigh people down. They cause stress, fear, anxiety and depression. And therapy can help people to find a way to move forward in this context and help us with the work of addressing these ills. This is work that I want to do.

Therapists are individuals. We each have our own backstory, connections with different communities and world views. These things have shaped who we are. Some people prefer to work with a therapist who has some connection or experience with their life. My own experience of exploring identity has helped me in my work. My personal experiences of loss and challenge have also been helpful. As more and more people look to integrate their faith/spirituality into their lives and want to be able to have that sensitively received in therapy, I’m glad that my own experiences have enabled me to honour this.

So, all being well, I hope to continue in this work for another decade. Listening and learning. Finding patterns and sharing insights. Working with you to help you flourish and thrive in your own life. It can be a challenging journey, but it is one well worth taking. I’m keeping my boots on!