At Use of Self, we are dedicated to empowering individuals through personal development and professional training and learning. Our mission is to help you unlock your potential and achieve your goals personally and professionally. Learning how to combine head and heart.
Having completed a BA in Sociology it became part of the foundation in helping me understanding a person and where their idea of identity comes from, studying this gave an opportunity to understand some of the ideas, perspectives and programs that become part of who a person is, the projected societal expectations becomes deep rooted within a person and who they think they are meant to be.
I then went on to work in residential childcare where I had the absolute privilege to work with the most amazing care experienced young people and families, within this time I completed a BA in social work, which gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and experience. This led me to work within social work for over 15 years.
I then went onto co-found and build a charitable organisation called The Holding space. The main ethos of our organisation is a therapeutic relationship, building this is our focus, only then can support and intervention be purposely provided.
What I found within my learning and work experience was the gap in applying theory to practice. It was clear that reading about theory and applying it where worlds apart and an ongoing issue within the world of social work and direct work with children. Building a therapeutic relationship with a child is a fundamental part of applying any intervention, regardless of how much theory we have under our belt. This is why I developed Use Of Self, a training body where training is provided on why a therapeutic relationship is vital, how we build it and how we apply it, while providing practical tools to do this.
Use of self provides training and learning opportunities for professionals who are working with children and young people directly and for parents/primary care givers. The purpose of the training is to develop an understanding of each child’s individual needs to support healthy development, mental health and well-being. Training also enables professionals and parents/care givers to develop an understanding of self and how they present within the therapeutic relationship. This then creates an emotional holding space for the child which can support them to work through any barriers to their developmental potential. We work in partnership with The Holding Space SCIO.
