Determined mum is top of the class
A WOMAN who decided to become a counsellor after going through therapy herself is starting her career following her graduation.
Michelle Castle, 32, from Poynton, chose to go back to school and retrain in the profession after benefiting from talking to counsellors several years ago.
And since graduating from the University of Salford with a First Class BSC (hons) in counselling and Psychotherapy, she is set to start her career.
The ambitious mum-oftwo currently has two jobs, working as a key worker on the Pathways Project, in Eccles, as well as counselling on a domestic abuse research project in the Stockport area.
Michelle said she had always wanted to help other people but until now had not managed to find a way to do it.
She said: “I’ve had a bit of counselling myself in the past and I wanted to give something back. It’s a really rewarding career and it’s nice to be able to make a change to someone’s life.
“I’ve always wanted to have a job where I was helping people but I could never quite get to where I wanted to go. When I had my own therapy it was a bit of an eye opener and that whole experience was what made me decide that this is what I needed to do. Having that safe space, and that one-to-one time with people who are just there to listen – it makes such a difference to how you feel.”
Throughout her course, she has had to juggle her studies between looking after her children Calypso, nine and Bondi, four, often doing her course work in the evenings when she had put them to bed.
She added: “It’s a very hard choice. I’ve got two children and so I had to make it work. It was a very hard decision but I was determined to make a success of it and all the hard work has paid off now.”
Dr Mark Widdowson, senior lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Salford, said she deserves her success.
He added: “I’m incredibly proud of the way she applied herself throughout the course, and for her to get a first class degree as well as two jobs before she’s even graduated is a fantastic achievement.”