About me, Jules…

My Journey into Personal Consultancy

Before retraining in Personal Consultancy, an approach to psychotherapy that integrates counselling and coaching, I was Head of Production for a responsible business agency and prior to that spent 25 years in creative roles. I started off working in factual television and then in brand film for agencies and charities. I have a vast experience of creative workplaces and a deep understanding of some of the challenges that these environments can bring.

As a dyspraxic Mum to two autistic young people, neurodiversity is something that I learnt about and embraced alongside navigating my original career. Retraining in counselling and coaching followed five years as a volunteer on a crisis helpline for young people and I have since specialised in working with neurodivergent individuals (over the age of 16).

Having completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Coaching (achieving a distinction), I decided to continue on a path of academic research alongside my practice. I’m currently researching neurodiversity in the workplace and the impact that an integrative approach to counselling and coaching has on the experiences of autistic individuals at work. You can read more about this in my blog but one of my main findings has been that while workplace coaching is becoming increasingly common for neurodivergent employees, there is a gap where autism informed counselling and psychotherapy are also needed. A traditional career coach at this point would have to hand over to someone qualified to work with deeper issues, but a more traditional psychodynamic or person centred counsellor wouldn’t be able to work with the goal setting and solution focus that might also be needed. 

My personal consultancy approach enables me to move between surface and depth, being with my clients as they explore their experiences and working with them to brainstorm and look at solutions that work for them. We will explore what’s important to you in a collaborative way and we can move between counselling and coaching as appropriate or focus on one or the other. While this is helpful for my neurodivergent clients it also works for any individual who wants an approach that’s inclusive and engaging. My clients include people with a range of disabilities (I’ve undergone additional counselling training with RNIB to work with blind and visually impaired people), as well as parents, partners and carers of neurodivergent people and those navigating workplace challenges in complex organisations including in the creative industries. 

Training, qualifications & experience

  • MSc (Distinction) with the University of East London (research specialism in counselling and coaching for neurodiversity in the workplace)

  • Post Graduate Diploma (Distinction) with the University of East London

  • Three years as a therapist with the charity Action for Neurodiversity including regular training sessions and neurodiversity informed supervision

  • Associate Coach with Genius Within CIC - coaching clients to understand their strengths and challenges and to develop strategies to succeed in work and life

  • RNIB Accredited Sight Loss Counsellor (certified through the 'Understanding Sight Loss for Counselling' training programme)

  • Five plus years experience manning the crisis helpline for the young person's charity The Mix

  • Former volunteer counsellor with Harrow Carers

  • Ran an academic research study into counselling and coaching for neurodivergent individuals and their workplace experiences

  • Over 25 years of experience in film production including leadership roles (former Head of Production for a responsible business agency and Chairperson of industry body EVCOM) and mentoring new entrants to the industry

Type of Therapy

I integrate different methods and modalities depending on what’s required, but my approach is Personal Consultancy and draws from:

Cognitive and behavioural therapies, Humanistic therapies, Behavioural therapy, Cognitive therapy, Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Person-centred therapy, Gestalt therapy, Transactional analysis, Existential therapy, Integrative, Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Solution focused brief therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Walk and Talk Therapy, Positive psychology, Coaching

Issues that I work with include: Abortion, Abuse, ADHD, Affairs and betrayals, Anger management, Antisocial personality disorder, Anxiety, Asperger's syndrome, Autism, Behaviour problems, Bereavement, Borderline personality disorder (BPD), Bullying, Burnout, Career counselling, Carer support, Chronic illness, Climate and eco-anxiety, Dementia, Depression, Disabilities, Discrimination, Dissociation, Domestic abuse, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Health anxiety, Hoarding, Internet addiction, Learning difficulties, Loneliness, Low self-confidence, Low self-esteem, Menopause, Mental health, Miscarriage, Neurodiversity, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Older people's counselling, Panic attacks, Passive-aggressive behaviour, Perfectionism, Personality disorders, Phobias, Physical abuse, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Postnatal depression, Pregnancy and birth, Redundancy, Relationship problems, Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), Self-harm, Separation and divorce, Separation anxiety, Social anxiety, Spirituality, Stress, Suicidal thoughts, Trauma, Work-related stress, Young people's counselling

Julie (Jules) Sander MBACP