Meet Simon
@ Mind & Therapy

I built ‘Mind & Therapy’ around my own experiences in life. I believe that if I had not experienced my own personal problems and become self aware of how they had evolved through help and support when I needed it, then I would not truly understand how others are feeling. I think it has taken me years to develop a real understanding of why an individual feels the way they do. But overtime and a combination of a mixture of experiences involving Bereavement, Personal Issues, Career Changes, Financial Implications, Life Changing Health Conditions, Experiences and Building a Family, I have found a path to share my skills to support others. Up until now I have faced many challenges as do many people. But I am not here to share my stories, I am here to listen to yours and support you through your own Journey and help you achieve your own goal. As an Alternative Therapist I strive to apply my ethical skills that I have developed throughout my career in other positions. Not only am I an alternative therapist, but I am a parent of a loving, supporting family. I started out as a teacher for 12 years, working with children from all ages up to 18. At the moment I would consider myself to have a number of interlinking skills as I am also a Driving Instructor and Artist. As an artist I am able to use my creative mind to interpret my feelings and emotions through art in a variety of forms, from ink and watercolour through to wooden products. I find art very therapeutic for my own self care which has helped me become my true self. My job as a driving instructor involves patience, concentration and a willingness to believe in people. Guiding them with stability and strength to achieve their goals. My process involves client centred learning and tailor made lessons. Without a calm and chilled environment, I do not believe that my students would have the best opportunity to flourish, so I always aim to model the driver that I would want them to become - safe, competent and aware. The aspects of my career as a therapeutic artist, a calm, supportive driving instructor and a caring and trusting role model teacher along with elements of my life experiences are what I feel built the foundations for what I needed to train and become a Therapist. We are all different, so we should not try to be like someone else, but connect more closely with our true self. If we try to compare ourselves to someone else, then we tend to expect ourselves to overcome traumas like they have. So inevitably we are not expressing our true selves and instead masking our inner self. Mindfulness is a new way of being you, a new way of experiencing life and improving it for the better. Through my own traumas and tribulations I have learnt how to manage my own interpretation of my past that I can’t change and instead focus on building my future that has not yet been written. From my own experiences and working to support others, I have learnt that to understand someone’s feelings is to simply listen in a relaxed and non judgemental manner. As the client talks about their problem then my role is to connect with their feelings and continue to listen with open questions that encourage you to elaborate. And in this listening process, in a space that you feel safe, accepted and supported, then you (the client) starts to unravel your problems through your own awareness. As the problem becomes clear, then you will start to see the solution emerge. You become more mindful about the present moment and how your unconscious mind is playing a big part on your emotions and reactions to how you respond to challenges you face. Like me, your own life situations, your own experiences and your own attitude towards finding a solution will inevitably create a path for you to follow. How clear this path will be will depend on how willing you are to open out and let go. Mind and Therapy can offer support that is effective in any circumstance, any age, for anyone, young or old, for any problem – career, relationship, finance, goal setting, sometimes even physical pain. My theoretical approach can be surprisingly effective in solving problems or helping people find a direction if they are willing to try. As a Therapist and applying best practice, I do not offer solutions or answers to your problems as they are a biassed opinion. Instead I will support you to unearth your answers that are hidden inside your unconscious mind. Like most clients, you may be unaware that the answers are hidden somewhere deep in mind which need to be unearthed. And like many minds, they are not as clear as they may seem. So as we work together, we would unravel your hidden past that you may have avoided talking about for so long. It may be the first opportunity for us both to start understanding your past experiences and why it causes you your emotional and mental triggers. When a trigger sets off an emotion, we are responding with feelings, some of which we struggle to control, but if we understand where the triggers have derived from them we can start to understand our emotions and find ways to control them. It is important to understand your desired outcome, what you want to achieve from your sessions. I feel that it is important to provide a genuine attitude towards my clients without judgement or opinion so that we have a strong supporting relationship. This is vital for you (the client) to see a pathway ahead of you as you progress towards achieving your goal. As it may be the first time that you have opened out to anyone, please don’t worry, as what you tell me is private and confidential. I am here to listen, understand and support you along your journey. A session is client centred and client led where you will work towards finding an understanding of your problems and developing a strategy to manage them. So each session is tailored around you and your needs.