My Story

In my twenties, I often felt lost. Before university, I spent six unforgettable months in Quito, Ecuador, teaching English and living with a host family. Then I backpacked through South America, which gave me a love of people, places, and the stories that shape us.

Four years later, I graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Spanish and Business Studies - and, if I’m totally honest, an education in Newcastle nightlife too. My Erasmus year in Madrid gave me confidence, sharper Spanish, and my first glimpse into the world of marketing and events.

But after graduating, everything took a turn I didn’t expect. My friends seemed to glide into graduate schemes, while my applications went nowhere. Feeling like the only one without a solid career path, I flew to Hong Kong for an events internship, hoping the world would make more sense once I was somewhere new.

Instead, I felt overwhelmed, homesick, and completely out of my depth. I’d struggled with my mental health before, but I didn’t yet understand what depression really looked like - or how fiercely it could knock me off my feet. Coming home felt like failure.

I eventually secured a graduate role at an international law firm in London. It felt prestigious — a sign that I’d finally caught up with “everyone” else. For a while, things looked good: I worked on high-profile legal conferences, supported big marketing projects, and felt like I was finally doing something. But inside, I was sinking. The overwhelm became constant, tearful mornings became normal, and when I finally went to my GP, I was signed off with a “depressive episode.” I was shocked, ashamed, and terrified that I was broken in a way no one else could see. I left the firm while still on sick leave and withdrew from friendships because I didn’t know how to explain what was happening to me.

I thought I’d failed - again.

Once I was feeling better, I joined a boutique wealth management company - and to my surprise, I excelled. More responsibility, more trust, quicker progression. On paper, I looked successful. But inside, I was exhausted. The low mood crept back in, heavier this time. And eventually, I walked away once more, convinced that something was fundamentally wrong with me.

But now I can see that those dark, messy detours were pointing me somewhere I couldn’t yet imagine.

Volunteering with Rethink Mental Illness changed everything. Supporting young people, co-delivering mental health workshops, and sharing my story lit something up in me. With the encouragement of others, and through my own therapy where I rediscovered my values, I applied for a Master’s in Psychology.

Returning to study was terrifying, but I surprised myself. Even in Statistics — the module that once made me feel stupid — I eventually excelled. My dissertation on the "quarter-life crisis" blended research with lived experience, and achieving a Distinction felt like reclaiming something I’d lost along the way.

Since then, I’ve built the life I once thought I’d ruined: a COSCA-accredited Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling (Distinction), further training in psychotherapy, life coaching, and mental health first aid. I've supported people through addiction recovery, suicide prevention, and community services — sitting with individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, loneliness, and everything in between.

I’ve learned that failure isn’t a dead end. It’s a signpost.

Those moments I thought were my worst were actually the moments that led me here.

Today, I run The Mind Thread, offering one-to-one emotional support and mental health workshops. I help people navigate life’s messier chapters, reconnect with themselves, and feel truly heard. I know what it’s like to feel directionless, ashamed, or overwhelmed, and I also know what’s possible when someone listens without judgment.

My approach is grounded, compassionate, and shaped equally by lived experience and professional training. I’ve been in the dark places, and I’ve climbed back out. Now, I help others do the same.