I was born in Greece, but I grew up in a small town in the Midlands called Kettering. It is one of those places where everyone seems to know each other, and you can smell the Weetabix factory from almost anywhere in town. My mother worked as a vet, and my father came from an academic family. My grandfather studied English literature and encouraged me to read widely, think critically, and ask questions about the world.

After I finished my undergraduate degree, my grandfather paid for me to do a CELTA teaching qualification which helped me go abroad to teach English in South Korea. I ended up staying in Korea for twelve years. Those years were a time of growth and self-discovery. I made incredible memories travelling Asia and I even sang in a jazz band whilst I was there. Living abroad teaches you to adapt, be resourceful, and make a home wherever you are. It opened my eyes into all the things that I took for granted but also how much there is to be learnt from other cultures and communities. My years in Korea laid the foundation for my future career path rooted in the values I developed for human connection and understanding.

My return to the UK was after so many years of living aboard was both exciting and unsettling. It was right during the pandemic, and I had to rebuild my life from scratch including new surroundings, new routines, and a sense of starting over. I went from a spacious and affordable flat in Seoul to a small and expensive flat in the UK. In Seoul, there was a sense of tranquillity throughout the city, whereas London’s more chaotic and loud energy took me some time to readjust. I remember when I came back that I couldn’t even apply for a monthly phone plan as I didn’t any credit history in the UK.  However, things did eventually adjust and change for the better. I moved to east London and built an amazing community of people with shared values. I got a job I enjoyed in a start-up which was motivating, fun, and full of energy. However, I was eventually made redundant from this job and returned to freelance work, which gave me the freedom to manage my own time. It was during this time that I began to reflect on what I wanted next and I began to explore the idea of counselling and coaching.

My path into counselling and coaching has been shaped by both personal and professional experiences. A big part of that journey has come through my work as an ethnographer and researcher, exploring human behaviour and what drives people’s choices and emotions. Over time, I realised that what fascinated me most wasn’t just observing those patterns, but helping people make sense of them in their own lives. That curiosity, combined with a genuine desire to support others, is what led me to study counselling and coaching.

When I discovered the master’s course in Counselling and Coaching at UEL, it felt like everything clicked into place. I was drawn to the combination of the two fields. Counselling helps you understand and process your past, while coaching empowers you to take action and move forward. Together, they form a powerful approach to personal growth. This course was not only a combination of my skills but also incorporated my own self-improvement and self-growth and I’ve learnt so much about myself.

Every week in this course at UEL, we learn a new skill to use in the therapy room as practising therapists. One of the first skills we explored was presence: learning to sit back, ask fewer questions, and allow the other person to offer more. I applied this during one of my research interviews by asking fewer questions and becoming comfortable with silence. After the interview, the participant thanked me and said she found our conversation therapeutic. That experience showed me how powerful such a simple skill can be. It has only been two weeks since the course began, yet it has already been an incredible learning curve.

One of the main reasons I chose UEL was the way the course has been updated to reflect modern practices, which was very important to me. I was also drawn to the emphasis on diversity and systemic factors that are relevant to therapy, areas that other universities did not seem to address as deeply.

When I received the email offering me the postgraduate scholarship, I was completely overwhelmed. I had to read it twice to make sure I had understood it correctly. It meant more than just financial support; it gave me a real sense of validation. It felt as though the university saw potential in me, and that belief has been incredibly motivating.
I also want to give back through social impact programmes once I qualify as a therapist. Having the scholarship gives me the freedom to explore that. My dream is to set up a counselling and coaching agency, perhaps an executive coaching practice, that reinvests profits into community well-being initiatives. I am passionate about creating scalable access to mental health resources, especially at a time when so many people are struggling. My goal is to create a safe space where people feel seen, heard, and supported.

Studying at UEL has been a turning point for me. It has reminded me that growth does not always follow a straight path. Sometimes you have to take the long way round to discover where you truly belong. This course has helped me find that sense of purpose and given me the tools to help others do the same.

Rhiannon Shepherd 
PGDip Integrative Counselling and Coaching