Learn more about Louise

Like many people, the pandemic brought the chance to reassess my career and decide what I wanted my future to look like. Following the stillbirth of my son in 2008, I knew I wanted to be a counsellor. In the months following his death, I received great support from a counsellor which I credit with helping me to create a new normal. It felt very important for me to be able to give back some of the support I received to others as well as giving my son’s death meaning and purpose. In summer 2020, I felt like I was equipped with more life experience and ready to leave my education career behind to begin my journey.

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Alongside my counselling studies, I recently completed the first ever training course for professional counsellors and therapists run by the charity Sands. This was an incredible opportunity to meet other people who are passionate about helping people through the unimaginable losses and to expand my knowledge around the topic.

I have had a close relationship with Sands, initially whilst looking for support for my own grief. In more recent years, I trained as befriender and now run the Newcastle Support Group along with three other befrienders. We offer a monthly support meeting, giving family members the opportunity to talk about, and remember their babies alongside email support during the month and signposting to more specialised services.

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From volunteering in this role, it has become clear to me that there is not enough specialist support within the northeast, and I am determined to help fill this void.

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As a counsellor I have volunteered with two organisations that specialise in working with families who have adopted children. In my role, I supported parents through issues they were facing within the adoption process alongside issues and traumas that they had experienced earlier in life that were impacting their present. This experience included supporting individuals through many different presenting issues including pregnancy and baby loss, anxiety, depression, work related stress, grief, religious crises, inner child and attachment, and relationship issues.

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Through working in a pluralistic way, I take elements from the three main counselling approaches, humanistic, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic, to tailor my approach to every person I support. Building a strong and trusting relationship between client and counsellor is central to how I work.

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If you think I can help support you on your own personal journey, please get in touch using the contact form. I look forward to hearing from you.

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