Meet Vicky a new member of the Empowered Carers team who will be working with family Carers in Bolton. Here Vicky tells us more about her passions and why she wanted to join the team.
What attracted you to the Empowered Carers role?
Everything! The role is about building trusting therapeutic relationships, by offering a safe, warm, and accepting space, which completely fits who I am as a person and as a counsellor.
I loved the sense of a holistic approach to the individual, with masses of different support available. I have personal experience supporting close family and friends through the difficulties of depression and anxiety, and also, and importantly, over the last three to four years, I have been caring for a close family member living with dementia and have a personal passion around exploring and supporting individuals and families affected by these difficult challenges, to find more peace and connection together.
Having a personal understanding of the many challenges I encountered, I am overjoyed to be able to help other individuals find their own ways to live better and connect with their loved ones living with dementia.
Fantastic Vicky! We are so pleased you have joined the team. Tell us a bit more about your skills and qualifications.
I am a qualified person-centred counsellor (Counselling and Psychotherapy BSc (Hons), MBACP (Registered) and have experience working with a varied range of clients and common mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, bereavement and loss, life transitions, self-esteem and self-compassion. Building a strong, trusting and collaborative relationship is at the heart of my counselling work.
For the last four years, I have worked in organisations across Bolton and Salford, providing individual therapeutic counselling to a varied range of clients and mental health issues. This commonly included anxiety, depression, bereavement and loss, life transitions, relationships, self-esteem and self-compassion. Before counselling, I had worked many years in programme management roles, including delivering Wellbeing Programmes to members of staff.
My passion in life has always been people and relationships. I will provide a warm, empathic, and accepting environment, supporting individuals to safely explore their experience and feelings and come to their own understandings and decision-making processes.”
What are you looking forward to doing in the role? The special gift of being allowed to share another’s journey.
For more information about Empowered Carers work in Bolton or to refer yourself or someone you know who would benefit from the service go to https://empowered-conversations.co.uk/empowered-carers/ or email RachelYatesHoyles@ageuksalford.org.uk