About me

I hope this section will help you get to know me a little more and give you some ideas about who will be on this journey with you.

Asian female counsellor walking her dog in the fields.

My background

I’m Thai/Chinese and was born in Bangkok, Thailand. I moved to the UK in 1995 when I was 14 years old. Since then, I’ve moved back to Thailand twice - the first time was with my husband and the second time we took our dog (Bella). Now I’m living in Warwickshire, UK, which I consider my home, with Bangkok as my roots, and Chiangmai as my second home.

My relationship with my native country and the mixed cultural influences have been a complex one to navigate. I didn’t realise how much these factors played a part in the internal challenges I faced, particularly around identity, self-worth, guilt, shame, and a sense of belonging. I would describe my childhood as turbulent and my early adulthood as colourful. These experiences have given me a flexible and rounded perspective of life, but still with plenty enough space to learn.

I have a Thai, Chinese and an English name, and I’m known as all of them depending on context and connection! I speak English and Thai, although I feel most comfortable in English when it comes to work and expressing my feelings.

My work journey has been eventful, from working in a fast-paced consultancy environment, pulling pints in pubs, waxing bikini lines, working with youths on the streets, managing a beach resort, to starting a business and scrapping it! I’m thankful for all the experiences and skills they’ve given me.

Away from work, I love being in nature; that combined with seeing my dog’s smiley face when she runs brings me joy. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, but I also need alone time to feel steady and well.

Long winding road through the mountains with sunrise in the distance.

My journey into counselling

After I returned to the UK from Thailand for the second time, my internal world felt fragile. I didn’t feel ‘right’. I remember describing my feelings to my counsellor as, “like a dam that’s about to burst.” But at the same time, there was greyness in my being. We spent time together tending to all the cracks that were never maintained.

My personal struggles with mental health, as well as my loved ones’, sparked something in me to quietly ask myself some tough questions like: Who am I? Who do I want to be? How do I want to live? What do I enjoy? What do I have to offer?

I feel that my colourful life journey led me to explore this path. I’ve been fortunate to have met and shared my journey with people from different walks of life, places, ages, cultures and preferences. I’ve learned that our sense of self and wellbeing can be knocked sideways and beaten down, regardless of our social, economic or ethnic background. And sometimes, something just feels too big and too deep to work through alone.

With the support of the people in my life, I began my 4 years counselling training in my late thirties, at the time, feeling apprehensive about being too old to start again, although I realised it’s never too late.

My training & experience

My core training was at Maple Leaf Counselling & Training Centre, UK, an approved centre by the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB). The training was an integrative route, covering multiple approaches to therapy.

CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills

CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling

Counselling Tutor - Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling
Creative Counsellors - Working Creatively Outdoors, Ecotherapy, and Walk & Talk
Sussex Rainbow Counselling - Email Counselling for Counsellors

Continuing professional development

The focused areas have been: trauma, intergenerational trauma, cross-cultural challenges, shame, Adverse Childhood Experiences, emotional neglect, compassion & mindfulness, LGBTQ+, Focusing (inner felt sense) and inner child.

Counselling experience

I started counselling at the start of 2020 for a charity in Warwickshire. In my work, I’ve been counselling adults with a diverse range of mental health struggles, all of whom have experienced varying degrees of anxiety and trauma.

Multiple hands holding different lego figures together

My attitude & approach

I believe people are multidimensional. There are many different aspects to who we are, as we’re made of different life and genetic ingredients. We experience the world differently, despite our similarities. But we also share basic emotional needs, despite our differences. All aspects of you are welcome here.

I view mental health challenges as part of life, just like our physical health. Sometimes we get a cold, sometimes it’s a nasty flu, and sometimes we’re really unlucky and break a limb or much worse. I believe managing ‘health’ in general takes work. And when we’re not feeling well, it’s OK to rest, take our time, give ourselves what we need, and seek help when we need to.

I see therapy as something we can dip in and out of, we don’t just get one chance at it. Life is a long journey and I believe there’s a shift each time we engage in therapy. The same conversation you had with your therapist 10 years ago may feel different now. It may land differently and offer different insights and results.

I believe creating meaningful change is a process. It involves grieving for our losses, learning something new, and unlearning something old. It takes honesty, vulnerability, courage and commitment.

For many of us, ‘change’ is simply a shift from the norm, a subtle difference in our day-to-day experience and perspective. But this shift can be life-changing.

I see our counselling relationship as a partnership, and our session is a non-judgemental space for you to explore, process, reflect, experiment, and discover the answers that are right for you. It can be difficult to authentically navigate life sometimes. It can be even more difficult after experiencing trauma, negative experiences, or a complicated childhood and lifestyle. We may experience internal conflicts, which may cause us to feel overwhelmed by certain situations or emotions.

I’m an integrative and trauma-informed counsellor. This means I'm trained in multiple approaches to therapy and I integrate them into my work depending on my client's needs. It also means I understand how trauma and negative experiences could affect our body and mind - our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.

I often lean into creativity and metaphors in my work. You can expect anything from laughter and tears, to the odd grunting and jumping around. I would say that developing self-awareness, befriending and tolerating emotions, and building self-compassion are at the centre of my approach. I aim to help you connect to the different aspects of yourself, and build a greater understanding of what your senses may be trying to tell you, so you can respond to your internal and external challenges differently.

Children whispering and laughing to each other

What people are saying

To protect my clients’ and peers’ privacy and confidentiality, the feedback below is to give you some ideas of their experiences of working with me, without their names or initials.