THE BOARD

Perched on the Victorian picture rail above the main training room sit two miniature figures. Our board members.

They oversee the space when it is empty and remain present when it is full. A small, slightly eccentric reminder that this room matters. That what happens here is considered, thoughtful and held with care.

They represent something important to us. Accountability without rigidity. Oversight without control. Structure alongside warmth. They remind us that training is not simply about delivering content, is about holding a professional container, where growth, challenge and development can take place safely.

Part charm, part guardian and entirely intentional, they quietly watch over every cohort, every discussion and every moment of insight.

They may be small, but their presence reflects something central to who we are. We take what happens in this room seriously, even when we allow room for humour and humanity.

OWNER, PARTNER & DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

TRAINING & LEAD LEVEL 4 DIPLOMA & CPD TUTOR - PNCPS

I am a counsellor, ecotherapist, supervisor and tutor in Devon, and a co-founder of Step by Step Counselling Training.

I have been a counselling tutor for over ten years and am passionate about creative, experiential learning that moves beyond theory into embodied understanding.

I work integratively, with a strong person centred and gestalt therapy emphasis, and have a particular interest in neurodiversity and anxiety. I am committed to creating training spaces where difference is welcomed and students feel both supported and appropriately challenged.

As an ecotherapist I work outdoors, offering walk and talk sessions, as well as online and from our Step by Step base.

As Director of Operations and Training, I bring structure and clarity to the organisation and a commitment to rigorous, ethical practitioner training, with the aim of helping students develop a confident and grounded professional identity.

Outside of my counselling work, I enjoy good vegetarian food, films, creating art, walking, bird watching and supporting the local environmental group; Green Futures.

PARTNER, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & CPD TUTOR - MNCPS (Accred.)

I am a counsellor, ecotherapist and supervisor and I joined Step by Step as a partner, because of its training ethos and student success. I oversee marketing, communications and brand direction and work closely with Simon and our tutors to ensure students get the best out of their training.

I believe good communication should feel clear, honest and human, and I work to ensure that everything we share, reflects who we really are and what students actually experience and need.

Alongside my role here, I run my own private practice as an integrative counsellor, psychotherapist and coach and work online and outdoors with clients as an ecotherapist.

I have a deep interest in relationships with the self and others, often using Internal Family Systems theory and other relational models, along with my self-developed Biodynamic model, which works to observe people as an integrated system, much like nature. This enables clients to understand themselves and their needs more fully.

I am also an associate counsellor with the suicide prevention charity Hector’s House.

Outside of work, I spend as much time as I can walking outside, enjoy a good old pub and making things from wood. One may even hear me play the ukulele from time to time.

TUTOR

My career has taken an indirect route to counselling. I started out in live music, somehow making a job out of promoting experimental artists whose relationship with melody was, at best, optional. I then moved to Arts Council England, where I became surprisingly adept at explaining, as kindly as possible, why people weren't getting funding. After a brief and entirely random detour into the wedding industry, I retrained as a counsellor.

These days I work as an integrative counsellor with a particular interest in newer developments in CBT, neuroplastic pain recovery and supporting people living with chronic health conditions. My own experience of collecting stress-related illnesses with alarming enthusiasm probably played a part in steering me in that direction.

Alongside client work, I really enjoy teaching counselling. Walking with students on their unique and deeply meaningful journey through counselling training is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

Outside work, I swim in the sea, spend a lot of time with family, talk to my cat like it's a baby, and listen to music with actual tunes.

ADVANCED CERTIFICATE & CPD TUTOR - MBACP

I teach the Advance Certificate in Counselling and am a qualified therapist with my own private practice working in-person and online.  My background has mostly been working in education, but I have also worked supporting children and their families in a safeguarding capacity.

I work as an integrative counsellor with particular interest in how the body holds and stores emotions. I have experience in working with anxiety, depression, burnout, women's health and neurodiversity.  My work is often focused towards creating empowerment and choice with a strong emphasis on compassion towards the self.

I have always been interested in the human mind and the interrelatedness of thoughts and feelings and completed a degree in Psychology back in 2008. Now, I get to bring my experience and training to work therapeutically as a tutor and a therapist.  

For me, self care is essential to a balanced approach to life that feeds my physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.  Singing, friendship and nature are all things close to my heart.

Fortunately, living in Devon means I get to fulfil these needs through wild swimming, walks on the coast, and trips to the beautiful Dartmoor.

TUTOR & TEACH-OUT LEAD

I’m really pleased to become part of the Step by Step family, having transferred from Iron Mill College as part of the teach-out program.

I am currently a tutor on the Advanced Diploma in Integrative Counselling and hope to facilitate future Step by Step weekend courses. I often asked my students how they would describe their learning experience, and always, the response is that you cannot explain how transformative it is.

Being a catalyst for growth is what I love about being a counselling tutor.  Everyone has their own empowering and life-changing learning journey.  I learn so much from my students; it really is a two-way exchange.  Like most therapists, I am addicted to personal and professional development; there is never enough time for all the courses I want to take.

Some of my time goes into my online private practice. I am committed to interfacing technology as the future of therapy, and I am passionate about supporting difference and diversity and championing anti-discrimination in all forms.

‍TUTOR MBACP & NCPS (Accred)

‍I am an integrative counsellor, psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice in the Exeter area and work for two charities in the city (Intercom Trust and Exeter Leukaemia Fund).

I have over 30 years experience working with psychology; transitioning from academia and social services to the counselling role. I am an Accredited children and young person’s counsellor, often working with neurodiversity and love to work creatively.

I work for Fostering UK, helping children in care navigate complex lives. I am also an LGBTQIA affirming counsellor. I am the group supervisor at Intercom and run the 3-day Accredited Training.

I have a strong person-centred approach. I also have a keen interest in working with Internal Family Systems and Gestalt therapy. My enthusiasm for counselling was ignited by a desire to help students and young people outside the classroom, in order to help them gain empowerment in their lives and a stronger sense of self.

My role as a counselling tutor marries my previous experience in education with my passion for lifelong learning. I am privileged to be able to experience the change and growth of each student and watch as they become their own individual practitioner. I currently teach on the Advanced Diploma in Counselling and am excited about joining the Step by Step family.

Outside the counselling room, I practise self-care, by spending time with my family and friends. I am a spiritual person who believes in soul connection.

I love to be near the sea, especially in Cornwall and you will often find me attending live music gigs or indulging in complementary therapies.

OUR WONDERFUL CLEANER

I make sure that all the spaces at the college are clean and tidy, so that Step By Step’s students can feel comfortable and cared for. From steam cleaning carpets to sprucing up sand trays, it’s a pleasure to provide the service I do.

If you need a cleaner for your home or business, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Kaili’s Cleaning Services.

LEVEL 4 STUDENT AND BOOK WRANGLER

I am a trainee counsellor, soon to complete my Level 4 Diploma with Step by Step.

I’m hugely passionate about mental health and wellbeing, particularly in breaking down the stigma that sadly still surrounds it.

One way I believe we can decrease this stigma is through reading. I am a complete bookworm and am forever recommending books to others!

I believe books can widen our views, increase our emotional awareness and strengthen empathy. Research even shows that reading can reduce stress, ease anxiety and offer a healthy form of escapism.

Personally, when I find life overwhelming, losing myself in a book helps me feel calmer and more grounded.

All these reasons are why I love helping Step by Step organise the college library and curate an ever‑growing list of book recommendations and audiobook playlist.

There is so much to be gained from a good book, and I hope you can find some time to explore and enjoy our collection.

TRAINING CO-ORDINATOR and CPD TUTOR - MBACP

I was honoured to be part of the very first cohort of the inaugural Level 4 Diploma with Step by Step. To now return as a member of the team feels incredibly special. I’m truly looking forward to helping create the same supportive and enriching experience that meant so much to me, within this wonderful environment.

I came to this work because my own first experience of therapy was transformative. The counsellor I met during that time left a lasting impression on me, and that experience continues to inspire the way I practise today. I feel deeply passionate about Person-Centred Therapy and the lasting sense of autonomy and self-belief it nurtures in people. For me, it’s a beautiful and fundamentally human way of working - one that has grown beyond the therapy room and become a way of life.

I previously worked with the Palace Gate Counselling Service in Exeter before establishing my own private practice. Alongside this, I have supported clients from around the world through the BetterHelp online platform; broadening my experience of working across diverse backgrounds and experiences.

As an adoptee, I hold a particular interest in Adoption Support Counselling. In my private practice, I work with clients exploring themes around adoption and the adoption process. My own healing journey led me into profound questions about identity, meaning, mortality, and isolation. Through that exploration, I developed a deep appreciation for existential thought and have since gained a diploma in existential counselling skills.

I really look forward to meeting and working with you. 

LEVEL 4 DIPLOMA & CPD TUTOR - MNCPS (Accred.)

I am a tutor and counsellor in private practice in Torbay.  I enjoy a mixture of private practice and working with various Torbay charities. In recent years, I’ve become particularly interested in trauma informed approaches and the interplay between Trauma and Loss. I also have experience working as a mindfulness teacher in education settings and the gentle awareness and compassion that mindfulness practice has given my life, helps inform my therapy.

My journey to becoming a counsellor starts with me as a client, and I continue to cherish and nurture that experiential understanding in the work I do, whether that be in counselling or in tutoring. As well as having an experiential background, working from the glorious place of ‘unknowing’, I also have a background in ‘knowing,’ as before becoming a counsellor I worked in education in some role or another since 2006, mostly in tutoring, teaching, safeguarding and working with older teens and young adults with neurodivergence. I also bring a passion for playing and moving with music, considering it another language we can communicate in, as well as other forms of creativity such as poetry and the visual arts.

When I’m not with my counselling, I can be found banging a drum somewhere or frolicking with my family on a nearby beach.

TUTOR - MBACP

I am an integrative counsellor, supervisor and senior tutor with over twenty five years' experience working with individuals, couples, families and counselling students.

My professional journey has taken me from fine art, contemporary dance, Tai Chi and Shiatsu, formal Zen training and ordination, into counselling, psychotherapy and higher education, where I have developed a distinctive approach that integrates creativity, critical enquiry and embodied presence.

Alongside my private practice, I have designed and delivered training across education, health and social care, believing that learning is most transformative when people feel genuinely seen, engaged and encouraged to think for themselves.

Away from my professional life, I enjoy reading philosophy, Greek mythology and poetry, writing my own poems, creating digital artwork on my iPad, painting in oils and charcoal, photography, Netflix, reading through and re-reading through Gary Larson cartoons and maintaining a daily practice of dance, movement and exercise.

Together, these interests reflect my enduring curiosity about how people come more fully alive through relationship, imagination, movement and dialogue, and my belief that presence is an epiphenomena of relationship, context dependant and something we continually cultivate.