The Counselling Team at Missing People

Remi is a recent addition to the counselling team, but is not new to supporting missing people, and the families and loved ones of those who are missing . Before Remi took on their role as a counsellor, they were Missing People’s Family Support Manager for many years, and found the work to be deeply rewarding. Remi left our Family Support team to focus on their private practice as a counsellor, and so they jumped at the opportunity to come back to the charity in this role. In private practice Remi works largely with clients who are experiencing discrimination of all kinds. Most commonly the areas that Remi explores in their work are race, gender, sexuality, class, and disability. In all of their work, including at Missing People, Remi seeks to understand their clients’ identities, and how these impact on clients’ experiences. This interest extends beyond counselling, and Remi provides therapeutic trainings around equality and diversity to other professionals.

‘As a counsellor I hope to create a safe space with you - a space that feels supportive,  where you can explore your feelings and be emotionally held. I want to share my knowledge of missing with you, so that you feel confident that I have some understanding of what you might want to explore in your counselling. However, I do not in any way call myself an ‘expert’ in missing – that title is reserved for the loved ones of missing people, and those that go missing themselves. I will always seek to understand what you are going through, and offer my understanding back to you, so that you can gain greater clarity on your feelings, and emotional needs. I am trained in the Person Centred approach to counselling (if you’re not sure what this means – please ask me). This therapeutic approach, founded by Carl Rogers, is the root of my counselling practice, but over time I have undertaken a range of further counselling study, which you might want to tap into with me, including dance and movement , breath work, play, drama techniques, and art materials. These can be great way to support you in working through feelings - sometimes you might want ways of working that aren’t just talking, and I’m pleased to accommodate that. Whatever the way that we work together I will place your needs in the centre, and anything we engage in will be with your permission - this may mean that glitter never comes into the sessions!’

Tara is a qualified integrative therapist, meaning that she draws on different types of therapy to work in a way tailored to you. Alongside this, Tara has over 7 years of experience working at Missing People, in our Family Support and helpline teams. Tara is currently finishing training to become a qualified psychosexual and relationship therapist.

‘In addition to the issues related to missing, I specialise in trauma, loss, grief, ambiguous loss, oncology (cancer), chronic illness, menopause, and the effects of these experiences on individuals and relationships. I have experience in providing therapy for a variety of people and a range of concerns, including providing therapy to the refugee community, and to those that have experienced conflict, torture, trafficking, grooming, and abuse. Counselling can seem scary and daunting, particularly if you have never been to therapy before. I aim to offer you a safe space in which you are heard, seen, and held without judgment. I am human in my approach, what I mean by that is you won’t find me being a robot, silently just writing notes as you talk! I work in a trauma-informed way and use a collaborative and compassionate approach to counselling, so that we can make space for difficult things, and foster your hope, healing, and resilience. In my spare time you will find me binge watching a TV series, trying to find local dogs to make friends with whilst on walks, going to festivals, and reading with a nice cuppa’.

Elizabeth is the Counselling Manager and the Clinical Supervisor at the charity, joining in 2022. She has been managing and delivering mental health services for UK charities since 2009, specialising in trauma-informed care, particularly to those affected by sexual violence. Prior to her clinical training, Elizabeth worked on equity, inclusion and anti-oppressive practice in local government. Her training, consultancy and coaching work has included increasing resilience amongst educators of looked after children, improving accessibility of domestic violence services for LGBT* people, and supporting leaders and managers to develop trauma-informed workplaces. In addition to her organisational work, Elizabeth has a private therapy practice in South East London.