I am a British Citizen and a native English speaker.

I graduated in Psychology and Sociology from Sheffield University.

After obtaining this first degree, I spent a year on Saint Helena Island with the organisation Voluntary Service Overseas. St. Helena is a small island in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean where Napoleon was imprisoned and eventually died. Whilst there, I taught mathematics and English in the equivalent of the grammar school, and was also involved in the training of school leavers who were planning to be teachers. Two of these young people came from Tristan da Cunha (described as the remotest, inhabited island on earth) and one is currently Head Teacher at the only school there.

Returning to the UK from St. Helena Island, I took a Diploma in Education at St. Mary's College, Newcastle upon Tyne, specialising in secondary age children with special educational needs.

I spent the next 3 years teaching at Longsands Comprehensive School in St. Neots, Cambs. There was no special school in the area and I was one of four teachers in the special unit at the school, catering for students with learning, physical and behavioural problems.

I transferred from Longsands Comprehensive School to Priory Junior School - literally across the road - where I spent 5 terms in charge of special needs in the school.

I then made a career move to Northamptonshire Local Education Authority (LEA). I worked as a trainee Educational Psychologist (EP) for a term before being seconded to Exeter University for a year, where I achieved an M.Ed. in Educational Psychology. I returned to work for Northamptonshire as an EP for 10 years. My main employment was as a general EP, servicing primary and secondary schools, as well as schools and units for children with severe and moderate learning difficulties, physical difficulties and behavioural problems. Part of my contract was to support the Portage Service Teachers in the County. Portage is a home teaching service for pre-school children who have severe learning difficulties. Each child on the programme is visited on a weekly basis and the mother/carer is supported and given specific tasks to do with the child over the coming week.

During my time in Northamptonshire I also had opportunity to develop my counselling skills with adults (and children). I was based for a period of time in a Child Guidance Clinic, attended courses, and was involved in counselling with psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers and other mental health staff. This gave me a wide range of experiences.

In 1989 I commenced working for Hampshire LEA as an EP where, again, I worked as a general EP in Southampton and the New Forest. For my final 3 years in SW Hampshire I was employed as the EP pre-school co-ordinator. I worked with 0-5 year olds; in their homes, in units, in nursery schools and in the two area hospitals. I worked closely with the local paediatricians and with the hospitals' child assessment units. I developed and supervised the Portage Service in that area of the county and, with another EP, organised and taught nationally recognised Portage training courses for 'would-be' Portage teachers. In addition, I liaised with the Behavioural Unit at Southampton General Hospital, providing an EP assessment when necessary and discussing all children (from 5 to 16 years) who stayed in the unit. I worked with a team of EP's to write a programme for children diagnosed as Autistic in Hampshire based on the TEACCH method used in South Carolina, USA. I was involved with in-service training for teachers and other staff involved in teaching children with Autism.
My on-going training included attending further adult counselling courses.

In the UK, I was a member of both the British Psychological Society and the Association of Educational Psychologists.

In 1997 I moved to Spain with my family and have worked as an EP in many of the International Schools in the Marbella and Torremolinos areas - the only fully qualified EP on the Costa del Sol. I have assessed many children for possible Dyslexia and, where appropriate, provided reports and covering letters for UK examination boards. I have also assessed children with many other learning and behavioural difficulties, liaised with parents and school staff, provided teaching programmes and taught children on an individual and small group basis. I have also counselled children with behavioural difficulties.

Since moving to Spain I have continued to be involved in adult counselling - mainly relationship difficulties and bereavement work.

I work with a UK trained counsellor, Albert Vickers.

He has had many years counselling experience, working for a UK local authority, a number of large organisations and in the voluntary sector. His clients have ranged from teenagers to older people.

He specializes in substance abuse (drugs, alcohol, etc.), depression, mental health issues, behavioural problems, etc.