We are very pleased to announce that three of our counselling graduates – Shaun, Nicola and Heidi have gone on to form their own counselling centre, Discovery Counselling and Wellbeing! The three have trained together for a long time, starting on level 2 at Weston College and progressing all the way through UCW. After university they kept in touch, and later discussed the possibility of establishing a shared space for their counselling. After they found the perfect office to set up a dedicated therapy space that they could share between themselves, and the local community, they founded Discovery Counselling and Wellbeing.
We spoke to Heidi, one of the founding members about how everything has been going since going from UCW to founding their own practice. Heidi said: “We see clients one-on-one for personal therapy, covering a range of struggles like stress, anxiety, low mood and depression, as well as heavier issues and have started running workshops covering various aspects of mental health.
“We’re currently planning children’s workshops for age groups 8-10 & 11-13, which will give them skills to recognise and understand their own and others’ emotions through play and art. In January, we hope to have a Menopause Wellness group up and running for women who struggle with the unexpected effects that come with this significant life change.”
Shaun, Nicola and Heidi credit their time at UCW with giving them the skills they needed for creating and running a counselling business: “Our time at UCW was challenging and fulfilling in equal measure! The counselling training we received was thorough and thought-provoking, it encouraged us to dig deep to question motives and explore limiting beliefs. It showed us the importance of building authentic and honest relationships and valuing diversity.
“Speaking personally, the achievement of becoming a professional counsellor and completing an Honours degree brought confidence, awareness and determination in a way I didn’t expect. It changes you, and once the mind is opened to the possibilities, there’s no going back. I guess you could say we practice what we preach!”
The three counsellors believe that Discovery Counselling and Wellbeing can play a vital role in supporting mental health and wellbeing: “We provide a calm and safe space for clients to explore their feelings without judgment. This helps our clients understand their thoughts and feelings better and find their own solutions to their problems.”
Since its creation, Discovery Counselling and Wellbeing have welcomed two new UCW counselling graduates as affiliates to help them build their private practice in two additional counselling rooms: “The vision here at Discovery is to create a mutually beneficial environment where we can all support each other. We will be welcoming another therapist and a psychologist in the coming weeks.”
Shaun, Nicola and Heidi’s goals for the future of Discovery Counselling and Wellbeing are primarily to deliver a professional, personal service to their community. They are also hoping to be in a position next year to take on student counsellors.
They are also looking to expand to accommodate more affiliates, as well as offering yoga or mindfulness classes. “We want to help as many as possible achieve good mental health, and we believe we have the experience and passion to do that by providing personal therapy, workshops and holistic treatments.”
This success story forms part of the Counselling Careers Excellence Hub.
By being part of a Career Excellence Hub, all of our courses are designed to make you “job ready” when you graduate. We work with a diverse range of local and national employers to ensure our courses are upgraded with career-boosting benefits, and curriculum content is relevant to today’s industry.
UCW students can use these hubs to build networks, connect with industry professionals and launch their future careers. To succeed in today’s job market, having the right skills and connections with industry is vital. These hubs equip learners with skills specifically required by their chosen industries.
Shaun, Nicola and Heidi finished by celebrating their connection to UCW and how it has benefited them: “We enjoyed our training at UCW and are keen to keep a strong connection with the college, especially with Claire and the counselling team. Claire’s dedication and support for her students play a key role in instilling the high standards of the growing counselling community. She and the team take the time to understand their students, motivate them and support them to do their best. Their knowledge and expertise provide the insight and practical advice needed to create an inclusive atmosphere that makes learning and personal growth possible for all. We recommend this degree course to anyone who wants to enhance their skills and pursue a fulfilling career in counselling.”
Interested in counselling at UCW? Click here to find out more!
