GEMMA
ADHD COUNSELLOR & COACH
YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT COACH
YOUNG & SINGLE MUM SUPPORT
ARFID & EATING DISORDER SUPPORT
ACCESS TO WORK SUPPORT
DIAGNOSED ADHD & TOURETTE’S SYNDROME
LOCATION ~ PL31
Gemma had always known she was ‘different’ from a young age. Then aged 21 she found out that aged 5 she had been diagnosed with ADHD & Tourette’s syndrome.
Growing up she faced many challenges connected to her ADHD Combined type although she was clueless she had it. It was obvious to some of her friends though, one even asking her “Do you have ADHD? You’re just like my dad and he has it!”.
Gemma spent a lot of time during her teens struggling to make and maintain friendships, often feeling as though she had no friends unless they made it very clear they were her friends. This left her feeling uneasy and unsure if people actually liked having her around. She struggled socially and was the target of bullying.
Then due to a mishap with her medical records she found herself having to fight to regain her ADHD diagnosis as an adult. Only then did she finally begin to understand who she truly was and why she had struggled with so many things like Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, focus, organisation. Issues, time management and short-term
memory.
Creative activities like Singing/Music, Fashion, Sewing, Arts and Crafts really helped Gemma to gain confidence and it was in the arts she finally thrived.
Gemma found herself writing her own songs to help manage her feelings and even went to stage school for many years where she performed dance in the Queen’s Theatre, acted with Little Britain on stage and was an extra in a German film. This helped her gain confidence socially as she met a lot of like-minded people. She also found sports such as Taekwondo, Skiing, Gymnastics and Ballet helped her and went onto win medals in Taekwondo competitions which gave her a sense of real achievement. She had never felt this level of success and support at school.
Gemma struggled for many years trying to find her vocation in life which led her down many paths including music, fashion and hairdressing, none of which felt right to her.
Before fully understanding her ADHD and herself she had decided that she would only be able to succeed in a creative career, but once she began to process her difficulties she understood that she was intelligent, she just had to fight a bit harder than others to get where she wants in life.
She described this as being ‘like having an invisible wall she could not see and when she finally SAW it for the first time – it felt as though she could finally start to climb it.’ This realisation brought her to the beginning of her counselling journey. Around this time she also found her difficulties with food textures which had always been there were now slowly getting worse and then developed into ARFID. She was diagnosed after a very challenging pregnancy where she struggled severely with her eating.
In her younger years Gemma found herself self-medicating with the use of different drugs including cannabis and alcohol, which unknown to her at the time, was her way of self-medicating her ADHD, dealing with her impulsive behaviour and wanting to be liked by her peers.
She has tried ADHD medication but currently they make her Tourette’s worse but this is something she hopes she can return to in the future when she is not as busy raising her young daughter.
Gemma finds being a single mother challenging at times due to her ADHD, but her daughter’s daily routine and her determination to care for her, has actually improved her own self-care and daily structure.
She continues to work to her strengths, using the helpful techniques she has discovered over the years that work for her and improve her ADHD symptoms. Gemma is passionate about helping others find out exactly who they are, understand their own ADHD traits and find their own way in the world.
Qualifications
- Understanding Substance Misuse Level 2 CPCAB 2021
- Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 2 CPCAB 2021
- Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 3 CPCAB 2021
- Certificate in Online & Telephone Counselling 2022
- Diploma in Life Coaching with Distinction ACCPH 2022
- Therapeutic Counselling Level 4 2023
GEMMA
ADHD COUNSELLOR & COACH
YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT COACH
YOUNG & SINGLE MUM SUPPORT
ARFID & EATING DISORDER SUPPORT
ACCESS TO WORK SUPPORT
DIAGNOSED ADHD & TOURETTE’S SYNDROME
LOCATION ~ PL31
Gemma had always known she was ‘different’ from a young age. Then aged 21 she found out that aged 5 she had been diagnosed with ADHD & Tourette’s syndrome.
Growing up she faced many challenges connected to her ADHD Combined type although she was clueless she had it. It was obvious to some of her friends though, one even asking her “Do you have ADHD? You’re just like my dad and he has it!”.
Gemma spent a lot of time during her teens struggling to make and maintain friendships, often feeling as though she had no friends unless they made it very clear they were her friends. This left her feeling uneasy and unsure if people actually liked having her around. She struggled socially and was the target of bullying.
Then due to a mishap with her medical records she found herself having to fight to regain her ADHD diagnosis as an adult. Only then did she finally begin to understand who she truly was and why she had struggled with so many things like Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, focus, organisation issues, time management and short-term memory.
Creative activities like Singing/Music, Fashion, Sewing, Arts and Crafts really helped Gemma to gain confidence and it was in the arts she finally thrived.
Gemma found herself writing her own songs to help manage her feelings and even went to stage school for many years where she performed dance in the Queen’s Theatre, acted with Little Britain on stage and was an extra in a German film. This helped her gain confidence socially as she met a lot of like-minded people. She also found sports such as Taekwondo, Skiing, Gymnastics and Ballet helped her and went onto win medals in Taekwondo competitions which gave her a sense of real achievement. She had never felt this level of success and support at school.
Gemma struggled for many years trying to find her vocation in life which led her down many paths including music, fashion and hairdressing, none of which felt right to her.
Before fully understanding her ADHD and herself she had decided that she would only be able to succeed in a creative career, but once she began to process her difficulties she understood that she was intelligent, she just had to fight a bit harder than others to get where she wants in life.
She described this as being ‘like having an invisible wall she could not see and when she finally SAW it for the first time – it felt as though she could finally start to climb it.’ This realisation brought her to the beginning of her counselling journey. Around this time she also found her difficulties with food textures which had always been there were now slowly getting worse and then developed into ARFID. She was diagnosed after a very challenging pregnancy where she struggled severely with her eating.
In her younger years Gemma found herself self-medicating with the use of different drugs including cannabis and alcohol, which unknown to her at the time, was her way of self-medicating her ADHD, dealing with her impulsive behaviour and wanting to be liked by her peers.
She has tried ADHD medication but currently they make her Tourette’s worse but this is something she hopes she can return to in the future when she is not as busy raising her young daughter.
Gemma finds being a single mother challenging at times due to her ADHD, but her daughter’s daily routine and her determination to care for her, has actually improved her own self-care and daily structure.
She continues to work to her strengths, using the helpful techniques she has discovered over the years that work for her and improve her ADHD symptoms. Gemma is passionate about helping others find out exactly who they are, understand their own ADHD traits and find their own way in the world.
Qualifications
- Understanding Substance Misuse Level 2 CPCAB 2021
- Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 2 CPCAB 2021
- Certificate in Counselling Skills Level 3 CPCAB 2021
- Certificate in Online & Telephone Counselling 2022
- Diploma in Life Coaching with Distinction ACCPH 2022
- Therapeutic Counselling Level 4 2023