Samantha Harnett

Every person I have worked with who have had difficult experiences and traumas in their life have left a lasting effect on me. I have learnt from listening to numerous people that change, transition and loss is unique in its own way. My professional experiences and qualifications enable you to know that I have the relevant training and knowledge to do this work. However, every person is unique and their circumstances are personal to them and job titles are not, so I would also like you to know what has motivated me to do this work.

In the early 90s I started my career working in nursery's with babies and children of all ages. As I had a young child of my own I felt this work would fit in with my own lifestyle and help me to learn more about the early years. I went on to complete childcare qualifications and work in educational settings. Whilst working with children, I developed an interest in supporting and working with their families as I was intrigued to know more about the wider family network. At that point I decided to study counselling so that I could learn to support adults.

My first counselling job was as a volunteer for Cruse Bereavement Care over 15 years ago. I went into homes of families who had experienced sudden and traumatic loss and suffered with torment and anguish daily. This work provided me with extensive experience within the bereavement field. At that point, I realised I had found the job I wanted to do for the rest of my life. A few years on I found roles that incorporated my experience of family work and counselling skills, as a family support worker for Sure Start Centres and a local charity. I learnt to work with vulnerable children and their families on a one to one basis as well as holistically putting my therapeutic skills and knowledge into practice. I finished my counselling training and registered with the BACP as a fully qualified counsellor. I furthered my counselling career by running evening and weekend counselling groups with adults, which continued to develop my counselling experience. 

A number of years later, I went on to complete a Bachelors degree in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at University. At that point I wanted to know more about children's mental health as I had worked extensively with adults. During those studies I took on an extra role for the YMCA where I worked with youths focusing on self harm, homelessness, anxiety and depression. This work helped me to understand mental health in adolescents at a deeper level which I then implemented into my daily practice. 

At a later point, I went on to become a team manager of family support workers and a therapeutic supervisor, offering monthly emotional support to staff. I developed leadership skills and completed a management qualification. During this period I spent a lot of time liaising with teachers and professionals on a daily basis. I began to notice that teachers would approach me to talk about their anxieties and daily struggles, which highlighted to me that professionals had slipped through my radar and they needed support too. My new mission was to support teaching staff which I went on to do. I worked in Birmingham, Tamworth and Staffordshire schools.

After over 27 years of working with children and families for organizations, I decided to spread my wings and start my own business offering supervision, well-being and counselling. I was ready to use my experience, skills and knowledge and put them all into practice and focus on my passion, helping others and promoting mental well-being. Reflecting on my journey, I have always had an interest in the helping profession and it clearly stems from my own experiences as a child where little help was available and mental health was hidden. Through developing extensive knowledge around mental health in both adults and children it has enabled me to continue my work fully equipped with all the skills, experience and knowledge required to really make a difference.