Meet Kirrilly

I’ve always had an interest in human behaviour and this led me to study Psychology. I planned on extending my studies after I graduated but found the pull of overseas travel too strong. A year abroad somehow turned into almost 20 years living in the UK. My love of the written word led into a career as a writer in the advertising industry. I got married, had children and began freelance writing but something was missing. I felt a yearning to do something professionally I could feel proud of.

During a chance conversation with a friend, I realised I’d had the answer all along, it just needed to come to me at the right time. I went back to university and completed a post-graduate Certificate in Counselling followed by a post-graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

As part of my studies, I undertook my own counselling. This was something I had always wanted to do as I had some unresolved issues from childhood that had left me with self-esteem issues. It wasn’t an easy process but as I began to understand the theories I was learning in my studies, they helped me understand why I was the person I was. This helped me realise what happened to me as a child wasn’t my fault but just as importantly, I learnt that how I was behaving as an adult was my responsibility.

With the help of my counsellor, I was able to let go of the controlling ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’ I’d inherited from childhood. Instead of feeling like a victim, which had brought me so much sadness, anger and frustration, I was able to replace those feelings with self-kindness, acceptance and a newfound belief in my abilities.

It was an incredibly freeing and empowering experience. I knew that if I could give others the opportunity to heal in this way, I could provide something incredibly powerful.