ANNE POULTON

I took early retirement in 2000 and moved to France. Counselling is my second career, qualifying when my children were in their teens. I gained my Diploma In Professional Counselling at the International Institute Of Counselling and Professional Development in Plymouth.

I did a three month placement as a counsellor in a doctors' surgery in Torbay before qualifying and then worked as a generic counsellor for the Community Mental Health team in South Devon for many years, seeing clients referred by the team and local doctors' surgeries. I also co-led anxiety management and anger management groups with the occupational therapist who was based on the Community Mental Health team in Paignton.

I moved to Kent early in 1994 with my husband and children where I worked as a volunteer counsellor for Dover Counselling Centre for a while before being employed by the East Kent Schools Counselling Service, working in primary and secondary schools throughout East Kent, seeing both teachers and children between five years and nineteen years.

I also worked one day a week for the Department of Child and Family Therapy in Canterbury, mainly behind the two-way screen, giving feedback for the family therapists with two other team members.

I moved back to the UK at the end of 2010 and no longer see clients in France or the UK but continue to run Counselling In France and the sister websites.

Association: Haute Vienne 87/1382