EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

• Associate Lecturer/Counsellor –  Charis Cancer Care (P/T): October 2022 – present
• Associate Lecturer/Mentor & Counsellor –  NEXUS (P/T): September 2022 – March 2023
• Associate Trauma Educator – Wave (P/T): June 2021 – Present
• Rapid Response Nurse – Marie Curie Out of Hours- Northern Trust (P/T): October 2019 – December 2022
• Counsellor – MS Society NI (P/T): January 2020 – present

• Registered General Nurse (1989) – Current
• Registered Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting) (2002) – Current

 

EXPERIENCE:

General Nursing

I qualified as a Registered General Nurse in 1989 and my early years of nursing were in general medical & surgical wards. This started my passion for communication and working with people to make a difference in their lives.

I spent approximately 18 years as a Health Visitor and a Family Nurse working with teenagers who had many adverse childhood experiences. I had the privilege in supporting them to work through their challenges and to parent the best way they could.

Marie Curie

In 2019 I made the decision to leave the Health & Social Care setting and I joined Marie Cure Rapid Response Nurse and became a qualified as a Nurse Prescriber. This reinforced my love of supporting families through difficult times and I was privileged to be one of the front line workers during COVID, providing palliative care.

Wave Trauma

In 2021, I commenced a role with Wave Trauma as one of their trainers which developed my teaching further whilst working with a team of educators who are involved in helping people become trauma informed.  Since 2021, I have developed, written and delivered modules at degree level as well as bespoke courses for clients and students eg trauma and end of life care, trauma and advanced communication, trauma and boundaries and chronic pain and trauma.

Teaching

For over 10 years I have taught in a range of environments including FE Colleges, H&SC Trusts and Wave Trauma Centre.  This has given me extensive experience of teaching a wide range of clients and professionals.  I have delivered my training in formats that suit my clients requirements, this can be class room, workshops or remote/hybrid.  One of my specialist areas of training is Motivational Interviewing, one of the most successful evidence based approaches to changing behaviours.

Counselling & Therapy

I am passionate about continuous professional development and I completed a Diploma in Counselling (P/T) which enabled me to become a BACP member. I have a Diploma in Somatic Traumatic Informed Therapy to further enhance my practice.

I have over 30 years’ experience working therapeutically with clients one to one and in groups. I am privileged to have a wide variety of experience working with babies, parents, every age group during happy times but also, I have experience working with clients during difficult times such as abuse, relationship difficulties, loss of job, miscarriage, diagnosis of chronic illness, cancer, bereavement, trauma which has led to many feelings such as depression, anxiety, suicidal feelings, low self-esteem, coping strategies such as self-harm, addiction.

In additional to my private clients, I provide counselling services for the NI Multiple Sclerosis Society on a voluntary basis.

Voluntary Work

In addition to my voluntary work with the NI MS Society, I volunteered during the pandemic providing bereavement comfort calls to family members within the Northern Health & Social Care Trust.