My training
I hold a COSCA certificate in counselling skills from Edinburgh College, and a COSCA diploma in counselling with Interface. I did my counselling placement with Scottish Autism’s Affinity Project, and with The Health Agency in Wester Hailes. I currently work in private practice in West Edinburgh and online. I also provide funded counselling through the Joshua Nolan Foundation.
My training has been integrative with a person centred core, and I am strongly drawn to the person centred approach. I have also undertaken training in creative and outdoor work, and where folks are keen, I see a lot of value in bringing the outdoors, nature, and art and creativity into our therapy work.
I originally got into counselling training after seeing and experiencing how much autistic people, and people from other minority groups, experience difficulties in accessing appropriate and meaningful mental health support. I wanted to find out what was going wrong in training, what could be done to improve things, and also to somehow be a part of that change. During my training I also discovered how much I value the deep connections, relationship and learning formed in the counselling process – both for the person seeking counselling, and for the therapist. I am committed to building meaningful supportive relationships and connections, and building space for collaborative exploration and transformation, particularly for those in society who are different, part of minority groups, or who don’t fit the typical norms expected by society.
I am currently a counsellor member of COSCA and PCT Scotland.
About me
I’m autistic, trans (they/them pronouns please), queer, and of mixed east Asian and European heritage. I spent much of my childhood traveling between the UK and China, growing up in both cultures, and I still speak conversational (if slightly rusty) Mandarin Chinese.
Before realising in my twenties that I’m autistic, I spent many years attempting to find a job and home that would work with my needs and differences. I’ve lived in England, Scotland, the Czech Republic, China, and the USA; studied English literature, philosophy, ESL teaching, fine art, natural history, and zoology; and worked as an ESL teacher, academic english tutor, art teacher, student mentor, journalist, writer, illustrator, science communicator, and graphic designer. There was a lot that I loved about all of these jobs, homes, and studies, but time and again my mental health, physical disability (I also have EDS), and other related difficulties meant I had to change course.
Now I live full time in Edinburgh, Scotland, and have done for most of the past decade, during which time I have focused my work and learning on autism, mental health, disability, and LGBTQ+ identities. It remains a joy and a deep source of grounding to watch the seasons change in one place and get to know the land so well after so many years of restlessness. Since discovering that I am autistic, I have also discovered an autistic community through events such as Autscape, and co-founded an Autistic People’s Organisation (AMASE), which I chaired for several years before stepping down to focus on my counselling training. I have also found the support and growth needed to be more comfortably and confidently myself, and also to work more sustainably in my self-employment.
These days when I’m not doing autism or counselling related work, I spend a lot of time out in the woods with my dog, learning about the plants, bugs, birds and fungi; making things out of paints, craft materials or lego at home; or hanging out in cafes trying to read all of the books.
You can read more at my Medium blog.
