Originally from the UK, I came to Bangkok with my partner to support him on a six month work project. Whilst I came for an ‘extended holiday’ and loved being a tourist, I also volunteered with a couple of projects that involved teaching English with The Goodwill Foundation and In Search of Sanuk. I needed a reason to be here too.
I have always volunteered in some capacity throughout my life and in the UK I was a listening volunteer with the Samaritans and a grief counsellor for the bereavement organisation CRUSE.
Volunteering in Bangkok gave me the opportunity to meet many different people who were living and working here, either with family or independently. I soon realised that there were limited options for people who wanted to talk about how they were feeling, without being judged and were looking for support to help with issues that hadn’t gone away just because they’d moved continents.
It resonated with me that as individuals they were all experiencing similar daily challenges of living here without the valuable support network of their family and friends and were stuck between what to say to people ‘back home’ without them worrying or face continual demands to “Come Home!”
Conversations with other ex-pats about my work as a Psychotherapist are what inspired me to start my own practice in Bangkok when my partners’ project became a permanent position in 2011. I experienced ex-pat life for the first time and all the difficulties associated with relocating and re-settling into a new home, culture and way of life.
My own journey to becoming a qualified Psychotherapist was surprising, challenging and rewarding as I continued to discover more about myself and learnt to understand why I felt the way I did and reacted to certain situations.
We are all a ‘work in progress’ as we continue to evolve and confront life and its challenges on a daily basis. Understanding ourselves in this process is the first step to leaving the past behind and facing each day with renewed vigour and positivity.
As a person centred therapist I never underestimate the difficulty involved for clients talking to someone they don’t know about how they’re feeling, or detailing intimate personal information about their situation, past or present. It can also be the first time that a problem is admitted or realised.
The relationship between us, as client and therapist, is of paramount importance to me and something I am keen to establish immediately, which is why I offer an INITIAL CONSULTATION. It’s to help you decide if I am the person that you would like to work with in facilitating your thoughts and feelings to gain understanding and explore a way forward.
“The future depends on what we do in the present.” – Mahatma Gandhi