Each month, we will be talking to a member of staff and finding out a bit more about them and what their role is within the charity.
Name Ellie Elliott-King
Job Title Bank Counsellor
What is involved in your role?
Providing the right relationship and environment, including the core conditions to enable processing of grief, trauma, or whatever concerns the service user may have.
What is your background?
I came into counselling late in life, following a life event that gave me a different perspective. That led me to volunteering with a mental health charity to give me a good grounding and I worked in crisis intervention: the Acute Mental Health liaison team as a support worker and counselling for placement then qualified.
Before that I worked my way up in the banking corporate world, was a business consultant, Operations Director then went on to grow and develop a new company. All that I dreamed of; however, I was left with my lesson of, be careful what you wish for, but with many things learnt from all the experience.
Sport has always been very important in my life, playing basketball for many years and leaving a legacy of a basketball club for young to older to enjoy the sport and to help with their self-esteem, values, determination, and relationships, amongst many other things.
What motivates you?
Blue skies, all types of weather and being with nature. I am inspired by people who continue to give in so many ways, not just in our field but also those who put themselves out there, no matter what.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Knowing that the work we do is valued and worthwhile and makes a big difference in peoples’ lives. Also being able to help others heal, change, and meet their potential and as we also know, is to help save lives too.
If you could send a message out to the entire world, what would it be?
That’s a really big question and I’d like to take a lifetime to work that one out, but for now; ‘Keep loving life itself, even when it hurts so much you think there’s no hope.’
This month’s random question: If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or deceased, who
would it be?
Well, that would have to be Keanu Reeves because he seems like a great person overcoming the adversities in his life and caring for others who have so much less than himself.
