About me

This is me

My details

I am a half Sri-Lankan, half Barbadian woman, born and raised in the U.K.

I hold a degree in Psychology, completed in 1997, a Certificate in Counselling Skills completed in 2003 and, a Post Graduate Diploma in Person Centred/Existential Counselling, completed in 2005.

My experience includes work for the NHS where my clients were staff, London Metropolitan University where my clients were students, and Carers Support West Sussex as an Assessor and counsellor for full time carers.

I have been in private practice since 2015 and also currently work for the Arun Counselling Centre as a supervisor for trainee counsellors.

I am a member of the National Counselling Society and abide by their Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions which can be found here –

https://www.nationalcounsellingsociety.org/about-us/code-of-ethics

My story

Long after University, while still working in jobs that didn’t interest or fulfil me, a chance comment from a colleague sent me on a new path. This person had been experiencing difficulties in his life and as a result had become very upset while at work one day. I spent time out of my day just listening to him and as I listened, I felt totally engaged in his story; this colleague told me I’d been more helpful than the therapist they’d been seeing recently. The idea that there was a job that was about people, about being useful and that wasn’t boring, was a revelation.

The journey was hard, but I found a job that allowed me time to study and got a loan to pay for the course. I began my own therapy thinking ‘I’m okay, I’m only doing this as a course requirement. I already know myself well enough.’ I was very wrong about that.

What I discovered was another me, one that had been suppressed, ignored and generally kept quiet. I didn’t like all the parts of myself that were unearthed but owning them makes me more resilient and more confident. I came to realise that without integrating all those parts, even the parts I found uncomfortable, that I would never be comfortable being myself  because too much of my time was spent trying to keep parts of myself hidden and buried.

Since training as a counsellor, I have come to feel it more and more as a calling. Through continued study and training, by a greater understanding of how I work, by building my confidence and resilience and by learning to be comfortable with myself, I have worked hard to become as useful as I can be to my clients. I use this knowledge to be good at what I now do; to help others find out who they are and how to use that knowledge to their advantage.