About Me
Before becoming a counsellor, I spent a period working in a library, then in university administration and finally as a needlewoman with my own craft business. You can see a piece of my applique below. Creativity is still an important element of my life and, these days, my main creative medium is writing - especially poetry. You'll find two of my pieces at the bottom of this page. I find that my poems often grow out of my personal practice of Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (CWTP). If you are interested in finding out about CWTP and trying it for yourself, you are welcome to contact me.
I believe that honouring and expressing our creativity can play an important part in our journey of healing and personal growth. So I generally keep that in mind in all my counselling work. For those who earn their living in the Arts, emotional and psychological wellbeing is frequently crucial to a sustained career, and here counselling can make a significant difference.
Owl (Applique picture, copyright Susan Gully, 1995)
Qualifications
Professional Memberships:
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (Accredited Member since 2009)
National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (Accredited Professional Registrant 2024)
- Practitioner Certificate in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (Metanoia Institute, 2022)
- Level 2 Internal Family Systems (IFS) (internalfamilysystemstraining.co.uk, 2020)
- Online and Telephone Counselling (counsellorcpd.com, 2020)
- Level 1 Internal Family Systems (IFS) (internalfamilysystemstraining.co.uk, 2019)
- Diploma in Working with the Spiritual Dimension in Therapy (Network Counselling and Training, 2012)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling (University of Strathclyde, 2007)
- Certificate in Counselling (Queen's University Belfast, 1997)
Counselling Experience
I have worked as a counsellor for a national bereavement charity, for the NHS, for a generic therapy centre, and for a commercial firm engaged in workplace counselling.
Areas I can often help with
- Anger-management
- Anxiety
- Assertiveness
- Bereavement
- Bullying
- Childhood issues
- Confidence
- Depression
- Family and parenting problems
- Health issues
- Relationships, including separation and divorce
- Relaxation
- Stress-management
- Suicidal feelings
- Work problems
- Women's issues.
I can answer questions about my background and experience, either by phone on +44(0)7581 325846 or email, to susangully@googlemail.com
Poems
upcycling in 1740
"The great Handel has told me that some of his best ideas come from songs he has heard in the street."
nobby Mr H old grey wig eariwigs
cold corner brandy shop Tyburn way
hears a pure young voice John Shaw hawker boy
buy my matches John sings all day
old grey tipsy wig tune-angling on the sly
fishes in his coat skirts finds a small quill
jots a line of quick notes black boot running notes
pockets John’s song and drinks his fill
tubby Mr H is pleased as punch now
gives John sixpence shakes his hand
dreams an oratorio not about matches
big bone biblical thund’rously grand
(This poem was published in the Community Arts Partnership Manifest anthology, 2024.)
A stranger place
the dark eyes of these children go back centuries
hands they clap in time brown legs swing barefoot
above our ragged circle is the hot blue sky
voices flying as invisible birds
hands they clap in time brown legs swing barefoot
we stand sit lean together
voices flying as invisible birds
something eager stumbles tumbles out
we stand sit lean together
speaking or singing? sound breaks over itself like water
something eager stumbles tumbles out
no scent of afterwards only later I’ll long to return
speaking or singing? sound breaks over itself like water
above our ragged circle is the hot blue sky
no scent of afterwards only later I’ll long to return
the dark eyes of these children go back centuries
(Copyright Susan Gully)
