Transferring my legal skills to counselling

After leaving Mills and Reeve, I completed an MSc in Psychology. One of the modules was in counselling, and I realised then that this was what I wanted to do going forwards. I am now a qualified integrative counsellor, which means I practice from a personcentred modality, but bring in other modalities like CBT, psychodynamics and TA, where it’s appropriate for my client. My placement was in the NHS, and as well as starting to build up my own practice, I currently volunteer as a counsellor at the Meridian Counselling Centre. Training to be a counsellor takes a long time (partly because they like to make sure you have dealt with all your own stuff before letting you loose on anyone else!) but it’s also flexible, part time and term time, so it has allowed me a great balance between doing what I love and being around for my teenagers.

Mills & Reeve was a great place to work. I joined when I was four years qualified, having trained at DACB. The difference in culture was astonishing – it took me a while to understand that you could work in a law firm and be treated nicely from the top down! What I loved most about Mills & Reeve was the people - colleagues and friends who you could laugh with and who had your back when needed. But I don’t miss trying to keep on top of rules around disclosure and witness statements, nor an overflowing email inbox – I sometimes still shudder at the thought.

People ask me if I was unhappy being a lawyer given that I have taken up a very different career. Being a lawyer suited me in my twenties and thirties, and I really enjoyed it.

What’s your favourite Mills & Reeve memory?

Lots of life events then converged, which led to me deciding to make a change. There are so many transferable skills between the two professions.

It’s just that with counselling I am aiming to empower clients to find their own resolution rather than advising them on what I think it should be. The organisational and administrative skills that I’ve learned are also of huge benefit in setting up my own practice.

On one away day we were all asked to anonymously reveal something work related and personal on a post-it and stick them up round the room. I confessed to sometimes taking a 5 minute nap in the toilets after being up half the night with small children. This was slightly more personal than most responses and caused a lot of hilarity at the time.

Plus, dancing and karaoke in nightclubs and office parties – I still smile thinking back to some of those great nights out.