WHAT HOME MEANS TO ME

We hear from firefighter and psychologist Dr Sabrina Cohen-hatton

WHEN I was really small, I was obsessed with my parents’ Great Dane. I remember curling up with him in his bed and sitting on top of him like he was a horse. He was my best friend and my earliest memories of home are all associated with him. I think it also points back to a time before my father was ill and things became difficult. Dogs have always been a prominent feature of my life. Home isn’t a home for me without a dog.

MY priorities? I try hard to make sure that home for my daughter Gabby is somewhere that feels safe and secure because I think that’s the most important feature of any home. Somewhere that you have a sense of belonging. We have two Xolo dogs, Luther and Jimmy Chew; they’re always curled up with us.

MY father died when I was nine. My mum struggled to cope so I left home when I was 15. For around two years, I either slept rough or was vulnerably housed. It took several attempts to get off the streets and into secure accommodation, including spending some time sleeping in a van.

WHEN I was experiencing homelessness, the most difficult part for me wasn’t so much the absence of a physical house, it was the lack of the sense of security that comes with a home – that feeling of belonging and comfort that comes with a place you can relax in. The space that makes you feel safe.

I DON’T associate home with a location or a building at all. I associate it with a space where I can be with those who I love. A house is where you live, a home is what you feel.

MOST people who work on frontline services can probably relate to the relief of closing your front door behind you when it’s been a difficult day. I think of our NHS colleagues during this pandemic and the immensely challenging work life that they’ve had to endure every day. For me, the best thing I can wish for when I come home is to be with my family.

WE have an old Victorian cottage, which is small but full of character. We’ve tried to ensure the decor is in keeping, but with a contemporary twist. Our bedroom has a beautiful dove grey and white colour palette, with white shutters and some of my favourite art by Fabian Perez. We’ve taken real care to make it into a sanctuary, where we can close the door after a long day and relax with a good book.

THE place and time I’ve felt most at home is right here and now. At home, with my family and our doglets. It’s even more poignant at the moment when so many have experienced such loss, to be grateful for having each other.

Dr Sabrina Cohen-hatton is the author of

The Heat of the Moment: A Firefighter’s Stories of Life and Death Decisions