My first venture into counselling was almost forty years ago, and it changed my life. I was lucky enough to have a year’s free counselling at Mind in Greenwich (those were the days!) and that’s when I decided I wanted to become a counsellor.

My first training was with Glyn Seabourn-Jones, an inspirational teacher who I saw on television. I knew immediately that I could learn a lot from him by watching him work. His organisation was called the Association for Analytical and Bodymind Therapy and Training (A.A.B.T.T.) in North London. It was a wonderful mixture of Analysis, Primal therapy, Gestalt, Hypnosis and Meditation. I stayed with Glyn for two years and that was where I met my life partner Steve.

I started seeing private clients after that and went on to do a more conventional training at the Centre for Advancement of Counselling.(C.A.C). I did my placement at Greenwich Mind, sitting in the other chair!       I stayed with Mind in a voluntary capacity after I qualified in 1989, seeing private clients and working as an Educational Counsellor for adults in Woolwich. Educational counselling involved helping clients to decide what training was best for them and addressing any difficulties that might be getting in the way of their achieving their goal. A large number of clients were asylum seekers who were often very traumatised but desperate to work and contribute. We lost our funding in 1992 and I went on to train as a teacher at the University of Greenwich.

After that I franchised the C.A.C courses, by then called C.S.C.T.and taught them from my organisation Pamela Nell Associates. The nineties were very busy for me. I was also a tutor mentor and moderator for A.E.B.(the examining board). I would mentor other tutors who were teaching the courses and as a moderator I would assess the marking of tutors to ensure standardisation. I was also chair of the South London Group of the B.A.C.P.. It was a voluntary position and we supported counsellors in their work and ran workshops for training.

As counselling training became more widespread and funded colleges began offering courses, I found it difficult to financially keep afloat and I taught my last Diploma in Counselling at Pamela Nell Associates in 2000, and moved into teaching Supervision and C.P.D. courses, having trained as a supervisor at the Institute of Person Centred Learning. I was also visiting tutor on diploma courses in various colleges. More recently I was an examiner on CPCAB level 6 (supervision)

My ever popular Diploma in Supervision is now in it’s twenty second year and it gives me pleasure to know that I have trained hundreds of supervisors. CPD courses on various subjects are still in demand.  I write and teach all my own courses and work from my cabin in London.

 I am also a consultant for TALK CLUB and I have written some trainings for them including a course on Group Therapy. I’ve been in a couple of films. One about men and suicide called “Steve” documentary, and another called “Our Kids Our Lives” where I’m interviewed with my friend Amanda who is a child psychotherapist.    Originally I come from Northern Ireland and I split my time between there and London.  As you can imagine, I have written a lot of courses over the years, far too many to teach, so I’m offering some of them for you to buy, if you are interested. You can use them for CPD or teach them yourselves. There is still so much to discover.

Education:

1982 Introduction to Psychology London University 1983 Abnormal Psychology London University Training in Transactional Analysis London University

1983 B.A. Humanities and Social Sciences Open University

1984 – 1986 Training in Psychotherapy 120 hours A.A.B.T

1986 Intensive Psychotherapy Training Kairos Foundation

1989 Diploma in Counselling C.S.C.T

1992 Certificate in Education University of Greenwich

1995 – 1999 Various professional training and workshops B.A.C South London

2000 Diploma in the Supervision of Person Centred Counsellors I.P.C.L Training in Counselling Couples I.P.C.L.

2000 – Various ongoing professional training.

Professional Experience:

1986 – 1989 Tutor in Various subjects North West Kent Educational Trust

1990 – 1992 Educational Counsellor G.R.E.T.A.

1987 – Present Counsellor/Psychotherapist Pamela Nell Associates. Member of B.A.C.P.

1992 – Present Counsellor Trainer Pamela Nell Associates

1994 – Present Counsellor Supervisor Pamela Nell Associates

1995 – 1997 Senior Tutor and Tutor Mentor C.S.C.T. Moderator and Examiner Associated Examining Board

2000 – 2009 Counselling tutor City and Islington, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Bexley Colleges.

2015 -2017 Examiner level 6 C.A.C.P.B

2018 – Present Consultant for the charity Talk Club

Voluntary Work:

1984 – 1991 Voluntary Counsellor Greenwich Mind

1996 – 1999 Chair B.A.C.P South London

B.A.C.P. Registered.