About Me

Previous Career Experience

I worked as an accountant for 20+ years in different industries and types of organisation, from a major high street bank and manufacturing industries to smaller companies. I enjoyed this variety and have always loved improving systems, processes and helping people develop.

I later became a consultant in a few European countries, then UK companies, advising on the delivery of services, development of systems, and trying to improve relationships between different people or groups.

I called my company Cambio Consulting as Cambio means change and a lot of my work was in managing this. I’ve kept the same name for Cambio Counselling as I’m helping people with change more directly.

It was when I trained as a Mental Health First Aider that I was struck by the empathy I found for people suffering with mental health issues. I found it particularly hard that many people couldn’t see the person behind a condition and stigmatised them. I felt that I wanted to be able to do more and took the opportunity to escape corporate pressure and work on something more meaningful to me.

Outside of work, I like walking, running, cooking and music.

Counselling Experience

I have experience working with men and women and have worked with a range of different client groups including a lot of experience with male prisoners, many of whom were recovering from addictions. Helping people to face up to difficult emotions, instead of avoiding them with drugs, alcohol, risky crime, or other coping mechanisms, has been meaningful work to me.

In the prison, and through a bereavement service, I have experience in supporting people through loss. Sometimes this is just accompanying them and sometimes it’s helping them to express feelings. Often these feelings can be taboo, or ‘not allowed’, but they are still there and letting them out helps people to move on.

While every person is different, many stories have things in common that are similar to my own experience or that of previous clients. This can help in exploring what you might be feeling.

Training and Ongoing Development

Post Graduate Certificate in Counselling and Interpersonal Skills
Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Introduction to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Understanding Autism

In addition to the qualifications above, I undertake regular smaller training sessions in a range of topics from working with ADHD to self-harm.