Kim Lennard - Treetop Counselling

I am an Accredited Holistic and Integrative Counsellor and registered member of BACP.

 

I decided some years ago to have counselling and whilst I had experienced counselling in the past I never really felt I got much from it.  Old habits would return and situations continued to remain challenging for me. However, back in 2008 I found The Reach Approach.

 

The Reach Approach made so much sense to me in many different ways and I can honestly say it changed my life.  The investment I made in my self-development and personal growth has been fundamental to my progress.  The journey I took has offered me solutions that last – for the first time I felt in control of my own life.  Due to this experience of counselling I decided it was a career I wanted to pursue.

 

I was working in HR management in the public sector and also, after my training, began working as a counsellor within the voluntary and private sectors. As a result I have a broad understanding and awareness of the challenges in the workplace; high workloads, deadlines, time constraints and politics and appreciate how these experiences can affect our health and wellbeing.

 

As a manager I worked with senior managers, using my knowledge, empathy and negotiating skills to deal with many challenging situations. I coached line managers, sat on promotion panels, conducted interviews as well as disciplinaries and also assisted with a full-scale redundancy programme. I was also involved in project work and supported an organisation with pulling together a collaboration programme.   

 

When I changed career these experiences enabled me to see first-hand the impact organisational decisions have on people.  My work history definitely helps me in the counselling room.

 

Since becoming a counsellor I have experience of working with a cancer charity, working with those diagnosed with the condition as well as family and friends, tending to their needs.  I also have worked with clients in a hospice setting offering bereavement counselling and more recently have worked with clients in the public sector in Occupational Health.

 

My passion for mental health goes back many years and so for me there is no greater privilege than walking alongside a client.

 

Following my change of career I was very fortunate to be accepted onto the Reach Associate Programme and trained to become a Reach practitioner. Having experienced the Reach Approach from a client perspective and now as an Associate, my belief in the approach continues to grow and I continue to be blown away by the work of Reach.    

 

It is a great privilege to work as a Reach Associate and l look forward to working with you and offering you the sustainable solutions that now sustain me.