Meet Jan

I am delighted to be a new member of Bath Women’s Fund.

In 1999 I founded Focus Counselling in Bath and for twenty-two years led the team as the charity grew. We opened our doors in St Michael’s crypt with just me and one client! Now Focus sees many more clients than that per week and has premises in Bath and Frome. We are the largest counselling agency in the area.

I am proud to say Focus provides free and affordable counselling to those in most need of therapy. Focus is now at Oasis Hub in Bath because we needed more room. The challenges of running a busy charity are huge, but I loved my job and the brave clients who came and shared their stories with us.

I retired from Focus eighteen months ago and left the charity in very good hands. I am now working two days a week as the school counsellor for Prior Park College. I really love this work and the young people I work with are very brave and open to what is going on for them. Covid-19 has had such an adverse effect on young people’s mental health, and we will be seeing the aftermath of this played out for a while.

I also have a small private practice and I am a counselling supervisor, mentor and lecturer. I have been a Person Centred Therapist since 1993 and I am still passionate about my profession.

I love having more time now for my growing family and friends. I am a Silver Swan which, if you don’t know, is ballet for ladies over a certain age. I enjoy walking, reading, film, theatre, socialising, gardening, travelling, and I am involved with my church. So life is full and busy.

I am delighted to still be able to be involved in the local charitable sector through Bath Women's Fund and I hope my experience of the sector will be of some use.