WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:17.520 --> 00:00:18.520 [music] 00:00:19.860 --> 00:00:29.700 my own experiences of finding myself in an  addiction and entering into a residential rehab   00:00:30.300 --> 00:00:36.360 for addiction and during the time that I was  in there I was only in there for 28 days but   00:00:36.360 --> 00:00:41.520 during that time we had group therapy and  we could have access to the therapists as   00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:46.500 well we could have a little bit of one-to-one  counselling but during that experience it's   00:00:46.500 --> 00:00:50.940 quite intense it's group therapy every day so  like having process group all day every day   00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:57.300 but just realizing that that I really didn't know  myself that there was a lot in my life that had   00:00:57.300 --> 00:01:03.900 happened that had led me to be there and there was  a lot of things happening that I wasn't aware of   00:01:03.900 --> 00:01:08.520 and becoming just you know in that that having a  little bit of a light bulb moment that actually   00:01:08.520 --> 00:01:15.420 you know it wasn't just me being there for 28 days  was gonna actually sort me out I needed to carry   00:01:15.420 --> 00:01:20.700 on with this I needed to carry on with therapy  so I became a client of one of the therapist   00:01:20.700 --> 00:01:28.680 there when I left I continued in private therapy  myself as a client and they asked me back after   00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:36.360 a year and to volunteer there as a mentor so I  did that and I became really interested in the   00:01:36.360 --> 00:01:42.060 whole process and what was going on I was there  I was again in into into group therapy and into   00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:47.040 process with with the clients of The Priory  clinic at the time and I just became really   00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:51.120 interested in not only my own process but what  was going on in the group and what was happening   00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:59.340 so I decided to train as a therapist so I started  to look around at the different routes to becoming   00:01:59.340 --> 00:02:04.500 a therapist how to become qualified and what  was available close to home in Nottingham. 00:02:08.160 --> 00:02:13.380 so I looked around for training for therapy  training in in and around Nottingham   00:02:14.220 --> 00:02:20.340 and I came across different various ways of  becoming a qualified therapist and I came across   00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:30.480 the Sherwood Institute SPTI so I enquired and went  on an information day um but the minute that I   00:02:30.480 --> 00:02:38.940 walked into the building at Sherwood into Park Row  I'd been interviewed by other local universities   00:02:38.940 --> 00:02:45.180 and but I had a completely different feeling of  being in park row it just felt very comfortable   00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:51.660 it felt very warm it felt very it felt very  safe it felt very friendly I really liked   00:02:52.380 --> 00:02:57.660 the people that spoke on the information day I  remember being interviewed by Debs Mendham and   00:02:58.260 --> 00:03:02.340 just her warmth and and being being with her felt   00:03:05.400 --> 00:03:14.700 very safe so yeah I I decided to train at the  SPTI I did the ABC counselling course first   00:03:14.700 --> 00:03:21.780 and to see if I really wanted to be a therapist  but that just ignited my passion to learn more   00:03:21.780 --> 00:03:29.460 so I came onto the BSc and I had every tutor I  had was different for each year but they were   00:03:29.460 --> 00:03:34.740 all they were all really good in their own way  they all had diverse backgrounds and different   00:03:34.740 --> 00:03:40.200 types of training and I felt like I learned  a real lot from the tutors that that I had   00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:47.280 and I enjoyed my experience if if that's the word  that I can use enjoy it so obviously you know it   00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:58.080 it is life-changing and you know it was it was  hard at times and you know but overall then you   00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:03.420 know when I look back you know it's the one of  the best things that I ever did and I'm really   00:04:03.420 --> 00:04:08.940 glad that I trained at SPTI and I would come back  and train and I have come back trading there I'm   00:04:08.940 --> 00:04:13.380 doing the supervisors course so I have come back  to train that so yeah so yeah I really enjoyed it. 00:04:17.820 --> 00:04:22.680 so some of the challenges that I faced during  today was returning as a mature student   00:04:23.700 --> 00:04:30.780 never having studied at this level before so it  wasn't academic never done really anything at that   00:04:30.780 --> 00:04:39.720 academic level and I was also a single mum I had  two young children and they were I think five and   00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:45.540 three when I started so they were very young and  so it felt like a big challenge to come and do a   00:04:45.540 --> 00:04:52.500 degree lots of people told me that I was mad and  I shouldn't be doing the degree I should be home   00:04:52.500 --> 00:04:57.780 looking after my children which I did as well and  I had very good support from my family and my mum   00:04:57.780 --> 00:05:04.380 but it was difficult there were times when I felt  that I really couldn't carry on there were times   00:05:04.380 --> 00:05:08.940 when I doubted myself maybe I should have listened  to those people that told me it would be too   00:05:08.940 --> 00:05:16.320 much but the level of support that I got from The  Institute and from the personal therapy that I was   00:05:16.320 --> 00:05:23.640 in, from my peers, from the group that I trained  with, from my tutors, from the program leader   00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:29.340 you know from my family and friends as  well obviously but everything just held me   00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:32.400 and helped me to get through and I think it was   00:05:32.400 --> 00:05:37.800 really important I learned how to ask  for help and how to access support so   00:05:38.940 --> 00:05:45.720 there were a lot of challenges but you know there  was nothing there's nothing special about me in   00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:50.880 terms of being able to do the course you know I  wasn't particularly bright or smart or academic   00:05:51.660 --> 00:05:57.300 but you know I had a passion to do it and when it  got difficult I relied on that as well my passion   00:05:57.300 --> 00:06:01.980 to actually become a therapist and get the support  that was available to me and that got me through. 00:06:06.060 --> 00:06:12.180 and then I guess it's not it's not an  exaggeration to say it completely changed my life   00:06:13.380 --> 00:06:19.440 you know it wasn't like doing a a maths degree  and just learning something it was actually you   00:06:19.440 --> 00:06:26.400 know very experiential and impacted me in ways  that I I never expected to be impacted I knew   00:06:26.400 --> 00:06:31.860 it would be tough and I knew I'd need to look  at myself but you know I grew and I changed in   00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:37.260 in very positive ways during my training and  became more aware of myself more aware of my   00:06:37.260 --> 00:06:43.560 process and and that had a great impact on my  relationships around me as well at home with   00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:52.800 my friends with my family and so it changed it  changed my life in lots of ways um I guess a big   00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:57.060 thing for me that I guess I've already I did  already sort of touch on was benefiting from   00:06:57.060 --> 00:07:03.300 actually being quite a loner before quite isolated  somebody that just survived that just got on with   00:07:03.300 --> 00:07:09.060 things that felt I had to do everything on my  own and to actually asking for help and knowing   00:07:09.060 --> 00:07:14.580 that help would be available and reaching out  for support and becoming more sort of I guess   00:07:14.580 --> 00:07:20.580 rather than too independent becoming more sort of  interdependent so still having that Independence   00:07:20.580 --> 00:07:25.740 but also knowing when I needed other people to  help me along so that was a really big change for   00:07:25.740 --> 00:07:29.880 me and something that you know I'm really grateful  for I'm really glad that I have in my life today. 00:07:33.660 --> 00:07:43.320 so I've run a successful private practice  now since I qualified in 2017 and so I see   00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:52.140 um clients privately I which I honestly really  enjoy doing and it's it's been well it's been   00:07:52.140 --> 00:07:56.520 like learning to drive I suppose it's like coming  out and having the degree and then actually coming   00:07:56.520 --> 00:08:02.760 out and putting it into practice I think there's  been a lot more learning along the way and with   00:08:02.760 --> 00:08:08.460 clients and my use of personal therapy supervision  and regular CPD and professional development   00:08:08.460 --> 00:08:14.340 development I've started to grow into that role as  a therapist and become more competent in my work. 00:08:19.500 --> 00:08:26.760 I think the advice would be you know that  first of all you know it is challenging it   00:08:26.760 --> 00:08:30.900 will make you uncomfortable it will change  your life it will change your relationships   00:08:32.160 --> 00:08:36.660 but you know it's absolutely worth it if you're  passionate and you really want to become a   00:08:36.660 --> 00:08:42.420 therapist you're passionate about doing it because  the rewards are you know not only will you find a   00:08:42.420 --> 00:08:48.540 new career but you will really actually discover  yourself and it will improve your relationships   00:08:48.540 --> 00:08:55.380 it will improve your life it will improve your  well-being so and and benefit those around you   00:08:56.580 --> 00:09:01.560 but don't underestimate the importance of  actually you're not doing this on your own   00:09:01.560 --> 00:09:08.400 don't underestimate the importance of you know  good supervision and a good personal therapist   00:09:08.400 --> 00:09:14.640 you know and and having that support and having  that in place and actually really utilising that   00:09:14.640 --> 00:09:19.440 support as well um not just turning up  because you have to hit so many hours. 00:09:22.140 --> 00:09:28.860 so my plans for the future are to continue with  my private practice to keep working privately   00:09:28.860 --> 00:09:35.220 with clients but I'm just in the process of doing  my BACP accreditation at the moment as well so   00:09:35.220 --> 00:09:42.240 I'm hoping to have that completed in the next few  months and I've also just started the supervisors   00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:48.420 diploma at the Sherwood and so because I would  like to become a qualified supervisor so I'd like   00:09:48.420 --> 00:09:57.000 to start working sort of next year with students  and more with students and and doing supervision   00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:03.480 as well so that's how I want to develop and grow  and I'd also like to come and be a skills tutor   00:10:04.200 --> 00:10:09.840 on the bachelor's um at Sherwood so they're  things that I'm working towards now. 00:10:12.300 --> 00:10:18.180 so I think in terms of self-care I've  become very aware of the importance   00:10:18.180 --> 00:10:23.640 of that in terms of looking after myself and  you know it's been it's been trial and error   00:10:23.640 --> 00:10:27.840 sometimes you know kind of learning  how the right number of clients and   00:10:28.800 --> 00:10:35.040 and the right the right balance in my life but I  think in terms of looking after myself outside of   00:10:35.040 --> 00:10:44.640 the work that I do then I do exercise I go to spin  classes I go to yoga I'm booked on a yoga retreat   00:10:45.300 --> 00:10:49.260 later this year and actually I've got a day  retreat in March I forgot about that one which   00:10:49.260 --> 00:10:54.540 I'm really looking forward to see um you know and  spending time with my family and doing fun things   00:10:54.540 --> 00:11:01.440 you know always looking for something to do or  places to go so um I think my self-care is is is   00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:07.920 tending to myself though it's not all bubble baths  and and chocolates you know sometimes self-care   00:11:07.920 --> 00:11:13.020 can be actually me being able to just sit and  self-reflect and you know if I want to get angry   00:11:13.020 --> 00:11:18.300 get angry if I want to cry cry you know to have  my feelings sometimes self-care is a bit messy   00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:24.780 but I'm open to to being messy sometimes and  getting the support that I need with that too   00:11:24.780 --> 00:11:29.400 and that's looking after myself because  life is tough and can be challenging. 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:34.680 [Music]