I have experienced how much it can mean to simply have someone care, listen, and walk alongside you in the journey of self exploration and understanding. I became a counsellor with the hope of offering that companionship for others, and of creating a space where we can make sense of things together. Because of being in this profession, I get to experience the immense joy that comes from witnessing people choose love, joy and connection despite the consistent narratives of isolation that are imposed upon us.

I find it exciting to witness how people’s capacity to change things around them and within themselves continues to surprise me. It is often said that you can only see as far as you have reached, but I have found that people can go much further than I could have imagined, and I get to follow them there with curiosity, questions, and meaning-making. I find it exciting to witness the small and big acts of courage that sometimes begin in a session, and then see how they ripple into people’s lives as they start changing things around them, trying something new, or seeing themselves differently.

I hope that after our first session, my clients leave feeling that they had a space where they could be themselves without feeling scrutinized or judged. A space where their stories, meanings, words, and ways of making sense of the world could be met with curiosity and acceptance. Most of all, I hope they leave knowing that this is their space. They do not need to have the right words or know exactly what they want to talk about. We can begin wherever they are.

If you are thinking about seeking counselling, I would want you to know that therapy can be a space to slow down, be curious about yourself, and make sense of the things you are going through, with someone alongside you. Your confidentiality and your rights as a client are an important part of this space. You have the right to ask questions, understand how therapy works, and know what to expect from the process. As co travellers in this journey, we may sometimes find ourselves in places that feel overwhelming, uncomfortable, or even frightening. We can sit with them for as long as feels right, step away when we need to, or come back to them when we are ready. We do not have to rush through them or force ourselves to stay there. I hope therapy can be a space where your pace is respected.

I hope to build a relationship that feels safe, equal and accepting. Sometimes I think of it like two people travelling together on a bus. One might have water, the other might have snacks, someone might know a fun fact about a place they pass, and along the way we might borrow from each other. I like the idea that our work together can be like that too. We each bring something of ourselves, and we borrow from one another. I hope our relationship can be corrective in small ways, where we can learn from and surprise each other, while holding a sense of solidarity through the difficult parts. The hope is to build a relationship that has room for laughter, awkward jokes, questions about the process, addressing the power dynamic, feedback and the kind of moments that remind us that therapy is still a relationship between two people.

One learning that I hold close to my heart, among others, is how something that feels like a very minor change in sessions, could create a massive shift in the client’s internal and external environment. I have thus learned to really value every small and big act of hope and resilience. It has also been exciting to learn over time that I can enter this journey not only willing to understand, but also willing to be changed along the way.

I value my curiosity and my willingness to stay close to the meanings people make of their experiences. I try to ask questions that open up their stories rather than assume I already understand them. I also value being able to notice patterns and connections, while staying open to being wrong about what I think I see. I value holding the relationship at the centre of the work, and bringing in questions of accountability towards oneself and others when they feel meaningful to the person. Most of all, I appreciate being able to sit on the other side with curiosity and openness, willing to be affected and changed by the person sitting across from me.

In my free time, I am usually walking, having tea with a friend or sitting somewhere windy. I am also very keen on reading fiction, playing boardgames / badminton and watching a show / movie recommended by people around me. I also do spend a significant amount of my time on adding tiny decorations to my room.

My approach is primarily narrative and person centred, with a justice lens. I am interested in the stories we carry about ourselves, how those stories have been shaped by our relationships and the world around us, and whether there are other ways of understanding our experiences. I also try to listen to symptoms with curiosity. I think of them a little like a message that has not yet found words. Instead of trying to make the message go away, we can become curious about what it might be trying to tell us, where it came from, and what it means in the context of your life. I see therapy as two people sitting together with a map that is not fully drawn yet. You know the terrain because you have lived it, and I bring questions, curiosity, and another perspective. Together, we can make sense of the map, notice the paths you have been on, and explore whether there are paths you would like to take differently.

I try to approach this work from a place of being continually willing to learn and unlearn. I value lived experience and learn from peers, clients, reading, training, and spaces where I can listen to and learn from people whose experiences are different from my own. I also try to take responsibility for doing this learning outside the therapy room, so that the burden of educating me about their identity or experiences does not fall on my clients. At the same time, I want to remain open to being corrected and changed by the people I work with. For me, keeping love, dignity, and justice at the centre of the work is part of what makes a space affirmative. I see this as an ongoing process of learning, questioning my assumptions, and remaining accountable to the people I work with.