27 years and counting

At the end of September 1995 at the tender age of 18 I walked into a classroom at Highroyds hospital to embark on what was to be my true vocation. I had no idea really at that time, that it would turn out to be what I was born to do, being a mental health nurse is something that I am very passionate about, isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle/ something I live and breath. Over the years I have found myself hearing probably thousands of stories, giving people time to ventilate, to share their problems and been emotionally present and connected to their despair. There are so many that I still remember to this day, those I wonder about, you see as a mental health nurse; particularly as I have worked the majority of my career in acute mental health care; I rarely have got to find out the the ending. I hope always that for most, they found their long term happiness and that their recovery (often embarked on during my contact with them), is maintained and has continued to grow.
I guess it was this experience as a nurse, supporting people through their darkest hours and really never seeing the full outcome that planted that acorn of ‘what would it be like to work as a therapist’ to start to use the vast skill set I have developed in my ongoing skills development and specialist training over the years. Of course I have been lucky enough to work with people more longer term, to use all the skills I have, but a job change that was necessary meant opportunities for this were rare. 5 years ago I started to tentatively see people at home, eventually opting to take a room at the osteopathic centre in Whitley bay and intermittently working in jesmond too, my little business has started to thrive. The joy of really understanding people and supporting them their way, in their time frame, being responsive intuitively has been amazing. My competency as a nurse and vast experience of putting packages together that really create change for someone in as little as 4 sessions, has helped. I am able to make a difference in a short period of time for some, for others the work is more complex and it takes longer but what I know is, they never question the money. Peace of mind is worth the investment, moving forward with life without the baggage is worth it.
People will often and without thinking spend hundreds of pounds on their appearance, nails/ hair/ gym/ personal training. So why not spend some money on the inside/ your head too!
oh and being a mental health nurse is something that is part of me, I can’t switch it on and off, it just is.
Look forward to meeting some of you soon!