TONI-DEE
ADHD COUNSELLOR Inc CBT
SOLUTION FOCUSED THERAPY
TRAUMA THERAPIST
PARENTING SUPPORT
DYSLEXIA SUPPORT
DIAGNOSED ADHD & DYSLEXIA
ADHD DAUGHTER
LOCATION ~ LS14
Toni-Dee’s passion for helping people started when she tried to help her brother who had recently been diagnosed with psychosis. She was struggling to make sense of what was going on for him.
Until this point in her life she had had lots of unfulfilling office call centre type jobs but always knew she wanted to help people more. She began by working with adults with learning difficulties which was a revelation to her, and from then on, she knew working with and helping people was her vocation, rather than listening to angry customers!
Toni-Dee started her counselling training at the same time as volunteering for a local crisis service – listening to people who had no were else to turn. She then worked with SHOUT a text help service. Both of these charities gave Toni-Dee a wealth of experience working with self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Toni-Dee then worked in the community as a Support Worker alongside NHS staff – helping clients who were deemed ‘too risky’ to engage with other services. Here she was working with clients from all different backgrounds; many with mental health issues. She was able to offer a less clinical approach – using strength-based assessments to work out what was missing from clients’ lives and setting achievable goals. Some clients had just left prison or inpatient care. They often had severe mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, PTSD, personality disorders and eating disorders. Taking time to listen to their stories and help them achieve goals was rewarding and opened up her eyes for the first time about neurodiversity.
At the same time as this Toni-Dee was searching for answers for her 15-year-old daughter who had always struggled with anxiety but had recently stopped leaving the house, was having daily meltdowns and self-harming.
Toni-Dee had never felt ‘heard’ by her daughter’s school. At primary school her daughter struggled to get through the door every morning and then was noticeably quiet in the classroom. Her class reports read that she ‘was easily distracted’ that ‘if she focused more and applied herself she would be amazing’. But nobody ever mentioned ADHD.
Toni-Dee took her daughter to see her counselling supervisor, who in one session worked out that ADHD was the root of all the issues. When Toni read up about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria it was a massive eye opener to her and made complete sense of how her daughter had been feeling.
Finding out how long the waiting lists were for an ADHD assessment on the NHS, and with her daughter on the brink of being given a EUPD diagnosis aged 17, Toni-Dee decided enough was enough and she arranged for her daughter to be diagnosed privately. The transformation was immediate.
Her research trying to understand her daughter’s condition, and finding out how genetic ADHD is, lead to Toni-Dee receiving her own diagnosis, which finally made sense of her own strengths and struggles. Toni-Dee was then diagnosed with dyslexia – which was the final missing piece of her own Neuro Diverse puzzle.
Toni-Dee’s ADHD diagnosis allowed her to make sense of previous impulsive behaviour, like shopping and eating, people pleasing and her so-called ‘naughty behaviour’ as a child. She wrote her university dissertation around parents’ experience of having a child with ADHD and gained a First.
Toni-Dee’s degree research showed the support parents received pre and post-diagnosis was nonexistent and parents were often left feeling shame, guilt and huge amounts of frustration.
Her brother finally received his ADHD diagnosis after Toni-Dee had researched the links between ADHD and psychosis. Then her mum was diagnosed ADHD too.
Toni-Dee has completed ‘inner child’ training, which helps to recognise the child within us and what has happened since – sometimes trauma, neglect, bullying and numerous other scenarios.
Toni-Dee also uses role-play and visualisation to draw on feelings. She has completed over 900 client hours – helping clients get to the root of their anxiety, understanding depression triggers, working through grief and working with clients who are struggling to find out who they really are.
Since finding out about her and her family’s diagnosis Toni-Dee started to research how hormones affect ADHD brains. She has struggled for years with half of the month being fine and productive, having great ideas that she can put into practice … to then becoming a different person for the other half of the month. She now understands the links to PMDD in women with ADHD.
Ton-Dee has enjoyed training around culture and diversity whilst working at Touchstone. She has worked with refugees, asylum seekers, the travelling community, domestic abuse, HIV and transgender clients.
Toni-Dee is hoping to return to university at some time in the future to complete a Masters in Psychology.
Toni-Dee is able to see clients through Aviva, Vitality Health, BUPA and AXA health insurance companies.
Qualifications
- CBT Level 2 2023
- BA Hons Therapeutic Counselling 2022
- Level 4 Diploma Counselling 2021
- Working with the Inner Child in the Counselling Room 2022
- Working with ADHD in the Counselling Room 2023
- Solution-Focused Counselling 2021
- Safeguarding Adults 2021
- Autism Awareness 2020
- Trauma-Informed Training 2021
- KRUFTS Training – Personality Disorders 2021
- LGBTQ+ Training 2021
See what Toni-Dee’s previous clients have said …
TONI-DEE
ADHD COUNSELLOR Inc CBT
SOLUTION FOCUSED THERAPY
TRAUMA THERAPIST
PARENTING SUPPORT
DYSLEXIA SUPPORT
DIAGNOSED ADHD & DYSLEXIA
ADHD DAUGHTER
LOCATION ~ LS14
Toni-Dee’s passion for helping people started when she tried to help her brother who had recently been diagnosed with psychosis. She was struggling to make sense of what was going on for him.
Until this point in her life she had had lots of unfulfilling office call centre type jobs but always knew she wanted to help people more. She began by working with adults with learning difficulties which was a revelation to her, and from then on, she knew working with and helping people was her vocation, rather than listening to angry customers!
Toni-Dee started her counselling training at the same time as volunteering for a local crisis service – listening to people who had no were else to turn. She then worked with SHOUT a text help service. Both of these charities gave Toni-Dee a wealth of experience working with self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Toni-Dee then worked in the community as a Support Worker alongside NHS staff – helping clients who were deemed ‘too risky’ to engage with other services. Here she was working with clients from all different backgrounds; many with mental health issues. She was able to offer a less clinical approach – using strength-based assessments to work out what was missing from clients’ lives and setting achievable goals. Some clients had just left prison or inpatient care. They often had severe mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, PTSD, personality disorders and eating disorders. Taking time to listen to their stories and help them achieve goals was rewarding and opened up her eyes for the first time about neurodiversity.
At the same time as this Toni-Dee was searching for answers for her 15-year-old daughter who had always struggled with anxiety but had recently stopped leaving the house, was having daily meltdowns and self-harming.
Toni-Dee had never felt ‘heard’ by her daughter’s school. At primary school her daughter struggled to get through the door every morning and then was noticeably quiet in the classroom. Her class reports read that she ‘was easily distracted’ that ‘if she focused more and applied herself she would be amazing’. But nobody ever mentioned ADHD.
Toni-Dee took her daughter to see her counselling supervisor, who in one session worked out that ADHD was the root of all the issues. When Toni-Dee read up about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria it was a massive eye opener to her and made complete sense of how her daughter had been feeling.
Finding out how long the waiting lists were for an ADHD assessment on the NHS, and with her daughter on the brink of being given a EUPD diagnosis aged 17, Toni-Dee decided enough was enough and she arranged for her daughter to be diagnosed privately. The transformation was immediate.
Her research trying to understand her daughter’s condition, and finding out how genetic ADHD is, lead to Toni-Dee receiving her own diagnosis, which finally made sense of her own strengths and struggles. Toni-Dee was then diagnosed with dyslexia – which was the final missing piece of her own Neuro Diverse puzzle.
Toni-Dee’s ADHD diagnosis allowed her to make sense of previous impulsive behaviour, like shopping and eating, people pleasing and her so-called ‘naughty behaviour’ as a child. She wrote her university dissertation around parents’ experience of having a child with ADHD and gained a First.
Toni-Dee’s degree research showed the support parents received pre and post-diagnosis was nonexistent and parents were often left feeling shame, guilt and huge amounts of frustration.
Her brother finally received his ADHD diagnosis after Toni-Dee had researched the links between ADHD and psychosis. Then her mum was diagnosed ADHD too.
Toni-Dee has completed ‘inner child’ training, which helps to recognise the child within us and what has happened since – sometimes trauma, neglect, bullying and numerous other scenarios.
Toni-Dee also uses role-play and visualisation to draw on feelings. She has completed over 900 client hours – helping clients get to the root of their anxiety, understanding depression triggers, working through grief and working with clients who are struggling to find out who they really are.
Since finding out about her and her family’s diagnosis Toni-Dee started to research how hormones affect ADHD brains. She has struggled for years with half of the month being fine and productive, having great ideas that she can put into practice … to then becoming a different person for the other half of the month. She now understands the links to PMDD in women with ADHD.
Toni-Dee has enjoyed training around culture and diversity whilst working at Touchstone. She has worked with refugees, asylum seekers, the travelling community, domestic abuse, HIV and transgender clients.
Toni-Dee is hoping to return to university at some time in the future to complete a Masters in Psychology.
Toni-Dee is able to see clients through Aviva , Vitality Health, BUPA and AXA health insurance companies.
Qualifications
- CBT Level 2 2023
- BA Hons Therapeutic Counselling 2022
- Level 4 Diploma Counselling 2021
- Working with the Inner Child in the Counselling Room 2022
- Working with ADHD in the Counselling Room 2023
- Solution-Focused Counselling 2021
- Safeguarding Adults 2021
- Autism Awareness 2020
- Trauma-Informed Training 2021
- KRUFTS Training – Personality Disorders 2021
- LGBTQ+ Training 2021
See what Toni-Dee’s previous clients have said …