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what is it 'about'
A reflection:
When clicking the 'About' page, what were you expecting to find? What is the reaction to what you see and more importantly, what is the felt sense of your present moment experience as you read through these words?
If you did pause for a moment to look and reflect, then you have started to make a connection to what counselling is 'About'.
Most people seeking out someone they can talk to, start from a place in their lives where something has presented as challenging. Counselling taps into this and is a journey of healing through self-enquiry. It requires honesty and a willingness to engage. Engage with your own inner world, your inner landscapes, even if it feels uncomfortable at times.
We live in an ever increasing complex and complicated, relational world which can be challenging and confusing. Most of us have developed well adapted survival and coping strategies that help us navigate and negotiate our personal lives in this web of life. In my experience, there will come a time in most peoples lives when things fall apart or feel like are about to fall apart. Our reactions can be powerful, overwhelming and unbalancing.
As a counsellor I have been on 'my' journey for as long as I can remember and I feel I bring a considerable amount of experience of the process. Of course, I am still walking on the path and I am dedicated to deepen and widen my exploration, so that I can bring my own experiential understanding and my research and learning into the space between you and me and help facilitate your own process.
The aim of counselling is a little bit like gardening. You prepare the soil well, take care of the weeds and plant fresh, new seeds and seedlings. Then you nurture them and take good care so that they can grow into strong plants and beautiful trees and flowers.
Training:
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I am a fully accreditated member of BACP
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2002 Postgradutate Level4 Integrative Counselling, University of North London ( now Metropolitan University)
2019 End of Life Doula Training with Hermoine Elliott
2020 Online and telephone Counselling Certificate with Counselling Tutor
Volunteering and work:
2004-2006 Volunteer Counsellor in a western, buddhist retreat Centre in Dharamsala, India
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2009-2015 Volunteer Counsellor at the 'Centre for Complementary Care' , Ravenglass, Cumbria
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2016-2017 Volunteering in therapeutic community 'Lothlorien', Rokpa Trust, Scotland
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2019-2020 Bereavement counsellor volunteer at a local charity.
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2020 Member of staff at Hospice at Home as bereavement counsellor
since 2019 in private practise and EAP 'Spill' Counsellor
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About me
I see life as a journey written in many chapters. All chapters are inter-connected even if they look very different at different periods in life.
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I have also found that there are certain themes that run like a red thread throughout the chapters. My passion for personal development is one of the most important of those threads and has manifested in various forms and shapes.
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In search for some deeper understanding of myself and life, I left my Germany and went travelling abroad for many years.
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I was particularly drawn towards Buddhist countries and cultures and spent time in Sri Lanka, Burma and especially India. From an early age I was fascinated with meditation techniques and I went on to explore Buddhist contemplation practises. This culminated in my decision to become a Buddhist monk for five years to have the opportunity to spend as much time doing meditation and contemplation retreats as possible.
