I was a victim of a tough childhood and I believe that the most effective counsellors have also had to overcome great hardships.

I naturally made plenty of huge relationship mistakes, repeatedly, until I decided to have counselling myself. I felt trapped and had no freedom to change my behaviour and learn from my mistakes. I was the classic powerless victim.

Refusing to accept that I would never be assertive and wouldn’t be in charge of my life, I finally found the right therapist and gradually I became aware of how I was sabotaging my life and what I was really doing. Only then did my life start to change for the better and the beginning of my long journey to becoming a counsellor. No longer being a victim I can truly fully support my client’s needs.

My take on life is that unless we ourselves have suffered, we can’t really empathize and know how another suffers.