My gifts are storytelling, presence and a great voice. I'm a fluent communicator and speaker, with 40 plus years as a lecturer, group facilitator and therapist.

I started working in the addictions field in the early 90s, a few years after I had actually fallen prey to alcoholism and it was part of my journey. I kind of woke up, got well, and found I had a gift for therapy and rehabilitation work.

My old life was that of a teacher and also in advertising and marketing, I had my own advertising agency.

I worked in a rehab for several years in a very well known residential rehab centre in New Zealand called Higher Ground. When I left there I worked as a locum in a number of rehab centres and I lectured on counselling at Manukau Institute of Technology, teaching short courses on addictions and anger management.

I slowly built a private practice and, in the last 6-7 years before I left New Zealand and came back to live in London, I had a private practice from my own home and I never had to leave the house. I never advertised, I never promoted myself, and my phone number was ex-directory, so if you found your way to my house, you had a problem!

That’s how I built my work. The only way I got business was by referral from doctors, and other therapists and also clients who were happy with the work I done with them.