Sarah Colbourne

My message is even greater and louder then before because the psychological impacts on the Black and Ethnic minority community of COVID-19, of the Grenfell enquiry, of George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives matter movement are and will be devastating.

The need has never been greater for people of colour to train as counsellors and psychotherapists. Our student network will help with the emotional support that students of colour need to help them stay and train and qualify.

So much has happened this last year and to say I have changed and evolved is an understatement. I feel that my experience has given me more reason to want to change the narrative around people of colour entering the profession. I want to reopen the conversation about class and the socio economic experience of people of colour and tackle some of the barriers to access counselling and psychotherapy. 

2018/2019
I worked for over 30 years in the health and fitness industry and owned my own personal training company for 9 years. I set up my gym called Heart and Soul in Ladbroke Grove in 2011. I started a family in 2013 and decided to be a full time, stay at home mother after my husband and I had tried for 7 years with many-failed IVF attempts, to have a baby. While on my career break I retrained as a Life Coach and NLP Practitioner.
Mental health and well being has always been at the forefront of my mind - in my work and in my outlook. I started my psychotherapy training to make a difference to my community - I have lived in Ladbroke Grove for over 30 years. I had friends who lost their lives and homes in the Grenfell disaster - a tragedy that has had indescribable impacts across the UK. Called to action, my training has supported my exploration of the fragility of attitudes to race and to consider how my feelings about class have impacted me.
I would like to complete my training and then to offer my services to people who may not necessarily know or be able to engage with 'talking therapy' as a way of dealing with the impact of trauma. What we are doing - what we want to do within our community - this is bigger than us. 

Adeola Russell

I was saddened at the loss of fellow counselling students that could not continue their training journey with us this year. However I have had the opportunity to establish new links with other students of colour across the UK. This network of students formed the basis of the workshop I ran earlier in the year and helped focus on the project work streams that we needed to develop.

My academic focus for this year has been on identity and race and I am interested in examining ways to break the silence and denial in society about these subjects. How can we start these conversations in a way that allows for an open discussion about systematic misunderstandings?

We cannot ignore how COVID-19, George Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter movement has impacted the world and the BAME community in particular. It is time to get serious about promoting and supporting healing in our communities. I believe that developing support networks for students of colour is a positive way forward. I hope we have your backing.   

2018/2019
I am passionate about my community. I started community volunteering as a young Girl Scout - through the Brownies, Girl Guides and Ranger Guide organisations throughout my teens. I have been involved locally, in some capacity for a very long time. I currently volunteer as the team and committee secretary for a London based youth basketball organisation.
I have always lived and worked in London. My employment resume will show that I have worked for local and central government, multi-national organisations in the city, as well as further and higher education institutions in training, management and consultancy roles. However, 4 years ago I experienced an existential crisis and could not continue on my expected career path.
Fast forward to the present, and I would say that my psychotherapy training has given me access to the tools I needed to confront my identity head-on, and put me on a path to greater self-awareness. I realise that my local origins and the range of my life and work experience can form the basis for a therapeutic approach that will bring me back full circle to my community. Ultimately it is a journey I feel compelled to take; but like my trainee sisters, I face cultural and financial barriers. 

Angela Nagawa-Anosike

For the past 10 years I have gathered a vast array of international and local experience as an advocate for the protection of female victims/survivors of violence against women or girls. I support and work alongside individuals within the BME community who have experienced compounded traumas such as domestic and/or sexual violence, stalking and harassment, trafficked victims, women working in prostitution, honour-based violence or are at risk of female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
My interest in understanding wellness and healing led me to psychotherapy and counselling. My foundation year was an incredibly transformative experience and has shifted the way in which I relate to the world. My journey to self discovery has taken me on an incredibly painful path this past year. I unravelled and familiarised myself with self-introspection as I found my resilience. My trainee sisters have been instrumental throughout this journey to date. They have encouraged me, motivated me and held my pain.
The transition into the first year of my psychotherapy training will require us to go deeper into our process, while gaining invaluable skills in relation to supporting others during their pain. Our next year will also require economic resources and we are attempting to gather these individually, however we are experiencing a variety of barriers in our pursuit. 

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