About Me

My name is Imogen and I am a qualified person-centred therapist. I started Velaris Counselling because I wanted to provide women with safe, professional and effective support for their mental health.

After studying English at the University of Exeter and Vassar College in New York, I embarked on my counselling training at the University of Plymouth. I joined the agencies Lifetime Therapy and Counselling for Social Change and worked with clients across Cornwall, primarily referred to me from Georgia’s Voice and The Pearl Exchange. The majority of my clients were young women and I developed a passion for working with this demographic. 

In addition to my academic qualifications and placement experience, I have held many voluntary roles. I have been a KS2 education mentor, a KS4 academic coach, the facilitator of weekly poetry groups in a care home, and a crisis volunteer. I have worked with charities including The Bigger Picture, Coach Bright, the Exeter Care Homes Reading Project, and Shout 85258. I provided text-based support on the frontline of the female suicide crisis and was interviewed by Cosmopolitan Magazine about my work.

I am also a published poet and won the UK's National Poetry Competition in 2023, amongst other awards. I am very interested in language and how we can surpass the limits of expression through art. I welcome clients who wish to integrate their creative practice into their therapy journey.