The importance of mental health and wellbeing is being taken more seriously than ever, and quite rightly so. Life is tough these days, with the ever-increasing demands of modern life, the quick-paced speed at which we are expected to live it, and the ever-growing pressures on us as humans to strive for ‘perfection’. I have certainly fell foul to this pressure and, following a series of personal struggles, in 2021 was diagnosed with a life-long chronic illness called Fibromyalgia. Wow, what a wake up call this was for me to reassess how I was living my life, but it has been one of the best signs I have ever received.
It’s a somewhat clichéd path to move into the field of mental health work following own personal experience of struggle and being helped by others through this, but it’s a cliché for good reason, and is certainly the reason why I take a mega-focus on mental health and wellbeing in my current and future work.
The help and support I have received during my own personal MH journey over the last decade or so has hugely inspired me to pay that forward, and I am now working towards a counselling qualification. Studying with North West London Counselling & Training, I have completed my first three qualifications on this journey – Level 2 Introduction to Counselling Skills, Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills, and Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies. I’m taking a break from training right now, but very soon I plan to return to this to complete my training by partaking in the Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, which once completed will allow me to practice professionally. This concept excites me greatly, and I can’t wait particularly to soon combine these skills with my current work in the arts industry, as well as offer sometimes life-changing support to others, just like I have received.
Currently, I work as a Support Worker with Streetwise Opera, a music organisation that works with people affected by homelessness, aiding them in finding inspiration and empowerment while they rebuild their lives and identities. This is a truly humbling role for me, working with vulnerable adults who have experienced things some of us could never dream of, offering them a safe space each week, and it is a genuine pleasure to experience first-hand the power of music-making, social connection, and seeing how much joy it brings to their lives (and ours!).
During this time I have also trained as a Mental Health First Aider© (Adults) with MHFA England (recently refreshed in 2025) and I a member of the first ever Association of Mental Health First Aiders. I have found the skills and knowledge learnt during this training to be integral to my every day life and the work that I do.