MBACP Accred, Counsellor/Supervisor

In 2003, I started the journey that many of us take to become a qualified counsellor. I found when I was on placement that my counselling skills would be of great benefit to the people who came along to CHANGES, the Community Mental Health Project where I worked. I approached my manager and also my counselling training course to see if it would be feasible for me to set up a counselling service within my workplace. To my delight, they both said yes. In 2004, after meetings with lots of supportive people, I set up my first counselling service. Initially, there was only me seeing clients, however, as the demand for the service grew, it became apparent that I needed to develop and expand the service so we could see more clients. In 2007, I recruited my first trainee and by the time I left in 2011, there were possibilities for up to five trainees to be on placement in CHANGES at any one time.

I was approached by DAD's Work, another Community Project in East Lothian, and was asked if I could see clients for them as they had just been granted a small funding award. I felt the best use of my time was to set them up with their own in-house counselling service. They agreed to this, and I went ahead and set them up with their own counselling service, which continues to run today.

In 2011, I made the decision to leave the Community Mental Health charity where I had worked for ten years to concentrate on my own private practise of seeing clients and supervisee's at home.

I am a wife and mother – both my girls are grown up now but they still manage to keep me on my toes and busy. In my spare time, I like to jog, play squash, sing (in a choir), read, and socialise with good friends.

For more details about my work, please click HERE to visit my website.

Website:
COUNSELLING WITH NICOLA