Studying my third degree marks a transformative journey for me. A shift from two decades working in finance to following my passion and pursuing a degree in counselling. Even from my undergraduate years, I always knew I wanted to do helping work, but I felt that I didn’t have the life experience and maturity for such a career. Instead, I ventured into corporate settings, acquiring a master's in HR. I quickly realised that amid the allure of wealth, I felt disconnected from my beliefs and my career didn’t provide me with a genuine sense of purpose. I knew that I had to make a change and I gradually began both financially and emotionally preparing myself for this career pivot. My youngest daughter’s commencement of school opened time for me to focus on studying and switch to freelance work. 

My transition back into university has felt like a return to my roots and takes me back to when I first thought of pursuing social work after university. I started re-training at 40 and I feel well-prepared for the counselling and coaching role I'm pursuing, especially in supporting women navigating maternal mental health issues during their early postpartum period. 

I'm often asked how I manage to raise a family, freelancing, and study for a postgraduate degree. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not handling it all, but I've learnt to be incredibly organised out of necessity. It's a challenge many parents face. There's a specific time when I can focus—when my daughters are at school and I'm not working. It's either I get things done then or they won't get done at all. There's no in-between. There's no room for last-minute rushes in my life. 

Ironically, therapy was something I once believed to be ineffective and unnecessary. I went through a difficult period in life where I struggled to trust others and had to be independent and rely on myself. Therapy helped me overcome some of these challenges and became life-changing for me. Therapy gradually helped me re-evaluate my values and guided me back to what truly matters. 

My future aspirations involve setting up a private practice, focusing on supporting women during transitional periods in their lives, especially in matters concerning maternity and related issues. My dream is to be a dedicated therapist for women facing such challenges.