About

Ahh the dreaded about section. As a Brit I find it very difficult to talk about myself or ‘big myself up’ as it were, so writing this has been somewhat akin to dancing on hot coals or walking barefoot on Lego while trying to get to the fridge. It’s essential that I get to the fridge (that’s where the food lives after all), but I have to endure some pain and discomfort on the way unfortunately. Well, into the breach I go!

How did I get here?

That is a very good question and it’s not really a short answer. I’ll do my very best to be brief (as much as I possibly can!) and give you the abbreviated version!

My journey to becoming a self-employed writer has taken me around the world (literally) and through a myriad of jobs none of which I particularly enjoyed. It wasn’t until I went to university at the ripe old age of 27 that I knew, without a doubt, that psychology and mental health was where I was meant to be and started working towards becoming a Forensic Psychologist.

Alas, life can be cruel and throw things in your path, completely altering your course and sending you spinning off with no control. In 2010 I was diagnosed with M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and while I initially didn’t take it seriously (I was young, what did I know?), it came back to bite me in the ass big style! I ended up having a massive relapse a few years later and had to quit my job, move back home and basically didn’t get out of bed for about six months. You can read more about that here if you’re interested.

After two and a half years I realised that the only way to get back into any kind of paid work was to become self-employed, so I turned to the only thing I was confident of at the time, which was my ability to do admin. I styled myself Office Gem (a Virtual Assistant Extraordinaire) and went merrily on my way to find clients. I managed quite successfully for around two years but I never really loved it and ended up having a mental breakdown in 2019. This forced me to look at my situation and ask myself why I was doing something I didn’t like and what I could do instead. If I was going to have a breakdown, I wanted it to be over something that I actually cared about!

Where am I now?

I’m here. Wherever that may be. On a precipice, poised to make a big leap into the relative unknown.

So what am I actually doing?

While I may not have enjoyed being a VA, I did learn a lot of useful skills that are most definitely transferrable. Office Gem rekindled my love for writing and being creative. The Art to Survival gives me the opportunity to use those skills to talk about a subject that I’m truly, truly passionate about. Becoming a copywriter and content creator while being an advocate for mental health is as close to my dream job as I can get!

Qualifications

Some of you reading this may not want to know my qualifications or may not think it important, which is fine. I certainly don’t think you HAVE to have qualifications to talk about mental health but I’ve spent a lot of time learning whatever I can and I want you, my reader or potential client, to know that I have both the lived experience of mental health struggles and education to help you tell your stories. So without further ado, I have:

• BSc (Hons) Psychology & Criminology
• HEFC Psychology
• Mental Health First Aid (Level 3 RQF)
  
• Introduction to Counselling
  
• Experience of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
• Experience working with offenders

Volunteer Work

I spent five years working with Barnardos as a volunteer, first in the Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) and when that programme ended, I moved to the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme. I was one of two or three facilitators who would run group sessions over the course of 6 months for perpetrators of domestic abuse, leading them through activities and providing a space to talk about what they did and why. I always say that it’s not teaching or preaching at them, it’s giving them another point of view that they can take on board or not. You can’t force someone to think the way you want them to but you can provide a damn good argument!

I don’t think you should ever stop learning. There’s always something new and the more I know, the better I can help you.

What am I offering?

So after all that waffle, perhaps you want to know exactly what it is I offer. In a nutshell, I offer a copywriting service for small businesses, sole traders, charities or any business that wants to promote mental health and wellbeing and either aren’t confident of doing it themselves or simply don’t have the time. This could be by writing blogs or articles for you, helping you write and promote any courses that you offer or simply proofreading your website. For a full list of what I do, along with the prices, just pop over to the services page or send me a message.

What do I hope to achieve?

I want to get people talking about mental health and take away the shame. I want people to know that having a mental illness isn’t just about being sad or taking pills and I want to make them aware that there are so many different therapies out there. Talking therapies may not work for you or you may not be ready for it, but perhaps exercise or music therapy or art therapy could work.

Most importantly, I want people who are suffering from mental health problems to know that they are not alone. There is someone out there who is feeling the same way as you and there is someone out there who is willing to help you in any way they can.

We can only stop the stigma if we’re willing to spread the word so let’s shine a light! As the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland said,

“We’re all mad here. I’m mad, you’re mad.”

and it’s true, everyone has a little bit of madness in them. So let’s all be mad together because after all, all the best people are.