Ri Punt

Ri’s interest in mental health and education began in their teenage years when they volunteered at a local youth centre, providing support to children and adolescents facing various life challenges. They then pursued a BA in Community and Youth work, making this their first career.

Ri furthered her career by qualifying as a counsellor in 2006 and worked on various community projects and in private practice. Turning to counselling education in 2009. Completing their postgraduate teaching qualifications, Ri moved into teaching Higher Education and has since managed degree programmes in the South East of England

Ri’s interests led her to work with young people and survivors of domestic violence, and perpetrators of violence. This eventually led her to work with uniformed organisations and survivors of global conflicts when she completed her master’s in military and global veterans at ARU.

Ri also continues to practice counselling part-time, working with individuals and families who are experiencing life transitions, stress, anxiety and trauma. She offers a proportion of her time working pro bono with charitable organisations as a counsellor and supervisor, working with military veterans and their families. Ri also works with young people on various issues. Ri’s supervision work involves working with members of the counselling community, including community counselling and specialist practice fields.

They use their clinical experience to inform their teaching, ensuring that their students have access to the most current and relevant counselling techniques, as a mentor, and supervisor. Ri is dedicated to fostering the next generation of counsellors, guiding them to become not only skilled practitioners but also compassionate, ethical, and reflective individuals. Ri also works as a consultant for therapeutic schools.

They remain committed to lifelong learning, both for themselves and their students, and believe that the key to success in counselling lies in continually developing one’s skills, understanding, and empathy for others.