Hello, thank you for joining me here on my website. This is my career path and the consequential personal growth;
My interest in self-development began 40 years ago when I received relationship counselling at the age of 21. This fuelled my passion for emotional health and personal growth. In 1985 I was diagnosed with post-natal depression and my dedication to selfcare was born. I learned how important it was to look after my own needs as well as the needs of others. As a new parent I read about parenting behaviour and strategies in a book called, Hassle or Harmony (Bennett, 1987). I followed the teaching in this book which was innovative about constructive communication, positive discipline and reflecting on one’s own behaviour as a parent.
My career at that time was in the fitness industry and I became aware that physical activity had a positive effect on my emotional well-being. While continuing to teach exercise to music I gained a certificate in couple counselling and worked for Relate for 9 years. In 2000, I completed an access course followed by a degree course in Psychology. With four young children I learnt to prioritise my time and relied on my already established selfcare routine. Included in this routine is a self-development group which I have facilitated for 20 years.
In 2006, for 8 years, I was a Senior Parenting Practitioner within the Youth Offending Service. This work involved empowering parents and young people to question their own behaviour and make significant changes to improve their lives. My experience in this field led to Co-Authorship of the self-help book ‘Parenting A Violent Child’, in February 2015.
In 2016 I attended my first laughter session and I was introduced to the subject of Positive Psychology. I attended an Introduction to Positive Psychology course and I am now the proud owner of a MSc in Applied Positive Psychology. I am using my knowledge and skills of positive psychology to bring joy and hope to communities.
In 2020, after graduating from The School of Social Entrepreneurs, I started the podcast Positivity: A Work in Progress with fellow graduate Vie Portland. To date we have recorded 50 episodes on various topics related to positive psychology and personal development.
I qualified as a Life Coach in 2015 and I love every minute of joining someone on their journey, witnessing their growth and sharing my own experiences collected along the way. I have captured some of this wisdom in the E book Life’s Gifts.
I hope that you decide to join me in your personal growth journey, thank you for taking the time to find out more about me today.
Reference
Bennett, H. & V. (1987) Hassle or Harmony, every parent’s choice. U.K: Elm Publications.