I am a counsellor, and my job is to provide a space for people to talk through their difficulties, helping to empower people to find ways of coping with their health conditions. I work over a range of health specialities including bariatric surgery, diabetes, renal, cardiac and HIV.
Before starting at the Trust I worked as a counsellor with people who had experienced rape or sexual abuse. This gave me an insight into how trauma – either in childhood or adulthood – can affect people throughout their lifespan, and how talking through this experience in a safe environment can help a person to heal.
I have also worked as a drug and alcohol counsellor, helping people to find a way to minimise the harm caused by their substance use. Earlier in my career, I worked as a counsellor with children and young people, working in schools and universities.
I love getting to connect with a range of people from different walks of life, and feel really lucky to be able to be alongside people while they learn to cope with what life throws at them.