I wanted to be a journalist because I love to learn about how different people live and what they think. I want to explore what it means to be human and how different civilisations, cultures, and modalities have sought to understand the mind. I've always been profoundly interested in neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, personal development, and the potential that lies in every human being. 

Foundation In Counselling Skills

In 2023, I completed a foundation in Counselling Skills at Highgate Counselling Center. This is where I learned the importance of letting how someone feels be what they feel, of allowing space for what someone says to be there, without immediately trying to find solutions. I learned about the person centered theory, psychodynamic counselling, transactional analysis, mindfulness, Gestalt, CBT, and ACT, and had the chance to practice counselling skills with my classmates.

Volunteer Work

I currently volunteer with two mental health charities. I'm a helpline volunteer with No Panic, a charity which offers self-help and basic CBT for people living with panic disorders, anxiety, or OCD. I'm also a volunteer and team leader with Psycare, a welfare and harm reduction charity offering a 24/hour service at UK festivals. 

From 2023-2024, I volunteered with Woolwich Service Users Project (WSUP), a charity which supports homeless and vulnerable people in the local community. WSUP helps service users meet their basic needs by providing a hot lunch, showers, haircuts, a washing machine, a clothes bank, and legal advice. 

From the guy who sported smart shoes, a clean shirt, and a tiny backpack to stop people from knowing that he slept on the nightbus to the young man with the receding hairline who always wore the same suit jacket and flat brown shoes - an outfit he had carefully pieced together after months of carefully rifting through WSUPs clothes bank,  I had the privilege of getting to know so many unique people at the centre. It hit me with how crucial it is for people to be treated like people. 

I heard about how damaging having people stare at you with unseeing eyes, or walk past you without acknowledging your existence, and being constantly looked down on can be. One of the most important services we offered was humanity. Looking someone in the eye, listening to their story, using 'mmhmm' and nodding to non-verbally communicate interest, and just offering basic respect and kindness, are such simple and yet often fundamentally lacking gifts that we can offer.

I also volunteer with Wake Up London, a volunteer-led mindfulness group which practices meditation in the tradition of Plum Village, founded by Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh. In 2024, I had the opportunity to contribute some storytelling ideas at the marketing and social media meetings for the Being Peace team, who are hoping to purchase a property which will become the practice centre for Plum Village in the UK.