David Dowell

After thirty-three years in a relatively successful career where I felt like “a square peg in a round hole,” both my internal and external life fell apart until, ultimately, I ‘lost’ everybody and everything once dear to me and, above all I suppose, myself.

Whilst the warning signs had been there for a long time, I ignored them and disregarded all the words of advice and even pleas to stop doing what I was doing to myself. Critically, I ignored my self-care and self-compassion, developing unhelpful and ultimately destructive coping mechanisms and experiencing burnout on a few occassions. Thankfully, after unsustainable attempts at ‘masking’ what was really going on, I reached out for help and have found myself enjoying life more than ever, probably because I am more grateful and self-aware now, even through the many challenges that life has a tendency to throw at us.

I specialise in trauma and abuse - this need not be the result of a major accident, but can also involve generational, emotional and psychological trauma as well as physical and sexual abuse. I deal with people experiencing drug and alcohol problems and, more importantly, recovery from these problems. Anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, a negative and critical inner voice, and suicidal ideations often co-exist with both the above issues and, again, I can help with managing and recovering from these.

I have lived experience of ADHD, in particular late-stage diagnosis, and how to come to terms with the implications and consequences of such a diagnosis, including learning to manage the sometimes challenging presentations involved in ADHD and the anger that can be felt as a result of receiving a late diagnosis. I also deal with individuals experiencing problems with self-image and self-worth, whether as a result of suffering from such early years issues as silent treatment when a child or having suffered gaslighting or emotional and mental abuse in adult relationships at the hands of those seeking to bully, coerce and control others.

Qualifications

• Accredited Member of National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)
• King’s Trust Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling Practice
• Prince’s Trust Level 4 Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory
• Trained ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) practitioner.
• Four years’ experience of working in the Alcohol and Drug Addiction sector, most recently as a Recovery Support keyworker.
• Lived experience of major depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal ideations, and recovery. Experience of late diagnosis of ADHD.