My Story…

My early career was as an outdoor and youth development worker in the outdoors, taking people into the hills, mountains and rivers, delivering climbing, kayaking and adventure activities. I felt privileged to see people discover what they were capable of when you put them in nature. I didn't know it then, but those years were shaping everything that came after.

From there, I trained as a social worker and moved into frontline NHS practice; first in Substance Misuse Services, then Community Mental Health Teams, and later in a specialist Eating Disorder service within CAMHS. It was hard, important work that taught me loads about working with people who find themselves in really dark places.

Eventually, I completed my Level 7 Post Graduate Diploma in Person Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy. Honestly, this was where everything clicked into place. These days, I split my time between private practice, supporting students as a psychotherapist at a University Student Wellbeing Service, running ClimbWell Community Interest Company, a project close to my heart that combines climbing with therapy and now my own private practice. It's varied, it's meaningful, and it's work I genuinely love.

Nature, it's always been there

Nature has never just been a job to me. It's where I think straight, where I go when life gets noisy. The hills, trees, cold air and water help me find myself again. When I finally had the freedom to ask myself what type of therapist I wanted to be, the answer was clear: I wanted to focus on ecotherapy and climbing therapy. It feels like I'm coming full circle. While I still offer traditional therapy through Walk and Talks, as well as online sessions, my passion lies in these nature-based and adventure -based approaches.

The outdoor instructor and the therapist were never really two different people; I just hadn't figured out how to bring them together yet.