I am the founder of Next Chapter, which is the vision of my 13 year-old self. At that age I knew what support I and my family needed, however, struggled to access it, which ignited my passion to create a service that offers a holistic approach to wellbeing, seeing each person as an individual; their strength, courage, potential and lending some self belief until they summons it from within.  

 My philosophy is ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ and feel incredibly lucky to consistently meet likeminded people who are as equally passionate about our service as I am, who support the growth of Next Chapter.

I have over 28 years experience supporting young people, adults and families across Wirral and am now old enough to see second generations coming through!  My work has extended across the UK and internationally, which has given me some amazing opportunities to reach different communities, learning, growing and developing as an individual and practitioner, as a result. 

I am a qualified Mentor, Coach, Youth Worker, Holistic therapist and Well-being practitioner, holding teaching qualifications in post-14 education. I love that I can bring all these skills together, in one package that allows me to reach people in a variety of ways and bring education and well-being together.  My focus is around mental health, personal development, well-being and SEN, seeing each person as an individual and building a wrap around package of support, to help them achieve their goals. 

I have been a lead professional on multiple international research projects around mental health and well-being, winning several awards for innovative and excellence in practice, which gives me a huge sense of pride.  I am passionate about identifying and bridging gaps in services, to ensure I meet the needs of our clients and community, which means that I am creative and innovative in my practice.  My ultimate aim is to empower people to feel more confident, resilient and able to make informed choices about their own health and well-being, armed with the tools and resources to achieve it.

To me, success is sharing part of a journey with someone, who gains greater self awareness, clarity over what they want and builds a toolkit of knowledge, skills and resources to create the change they want to see. Mixed with their self-confidence and belief, I love people reaching the point of being able to declare, with confidence…..I CAN. I WILL. WATCH ME, knowing they are leaving with more tools to navigate their journey, from when they started.

We are thrilled to welcome Natalie as an associate at Next Chapter. She employs an integrative approach tailored to individual needs and is able to support anyone who is struggling with mental health and well-being, be that young person or adult.  

Her specific passion and focus on working with those who have neuro-diversity. Natalie believes in a personalised toolkit, acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all approach is not suitable and requires innovative, creative and for children, a shared approach to supporting change.

It’s crucial to recognise that neurodiverse conditions like ADHD and ASC cannot be “cured” or “fixed” through counseling or any other therapy. Natalie emphasises the importance of providing the right support and information to help individuals understand the positive and negative impacts of their symptoms, promoting autonomy and enhancing mental health.

Furthermore, Natalie often works with the child and parent, to bring about improved understanding, awareness, communication and connection, which enables therapeutic learnings and change to continue outside of the sessions.

Natalie brings a diverse set of skills to her clinic, including:

• Person-centred: assisting clients in making the best decisions for themselves.
• Psychodynamic: understanding how past experiences may influence current relationships, thoughts, and feelings.
• Systemic: working with children and their families in their home environment and relationships.
• Cognitive-behavioural: helping clients manage problems by exploring their thoughts and behaviours.
• Coaching: guiding clients towards time-limited, focused goals and solutions.
• Play Therapy/Art/Sand Tray: facilitating exploration of emotions, traumas, and worries in a safe manner, especially beneficial when social interaction is challenging due to mental health or neurodiverse conditions.
  
  

Counselling and coaching, with a consideration of neurodiverse conditions, play a vital role in a client’s acceptance of their situation. Whether newly diagnosed or dealing with difficulties for an extended period, therapy provides a space for clients to understand that there is nothing inherently wrong with them. It fosters an awareness that their perception of the world may differ from others and that such differences can impact mental health, potentially leading to co-occurring conditions like anxiety and depression.

Workshops and Courses

Alongside delivering courses for young people to build friendships, relationships and self esteem, Natalie also delivers courses and workshops for children, parents, and adults who have received a diagnosis. These sessions aim to explore the implications of the diagnosis, foster understanding, and empower individuals to embrace their authentic selves, recognising the positive qualities that neurodiversity can bring.

You can find more information about Natalie on her website:

https://www.conceptcounselling.com