HOW I BECAME A THERAPIST

IN THE MID-80S AND EARLY 90S, I worked in the music industry as a sound engineer during a period that became known as the ‘British soul explosion’. It was an exciting and mesmerising time. While I was in what might have been seen as an enviable position, I was depressed without knowing why.

I found a therapist and then a therapy group, where I developed a realisation that it was possible to make contact with forgotten parts of the self and bring them to life. Over time, I turned what felt like my grey world into a world of colour. My strongest recollection of therapy was the feeling of being attended to and being seen. I began internalising this and saw the value of being validated as an essential part of attaining self-worth. I wanted to bring this experience to others and especially to those in my community.

Eugene Ellis’s personal insight into the power of therapy drew him to the field

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