Keely Reichardt

Before becoming a therapist, I completed a masters degree in Gender, Sexuality & Society whilst at the same time volunteering for a helpline that supports survivors of sexual violence. After completing my masters I went on to work for a pro-choice abortion organisation, and off the back of this I got offered the chance to work as an academic researcher for a London university. I worked as a field researcher with street sex workers and marginalised homeless communities in East London. This experience taught me about the impact trauma has on a persons sense of self worth and how trauma can exasperate addiction and substance misuse. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck it sadly put an end to my work as a frontline researcher but it channelled me into the counselling space where I begun my academic journey of qualifying as a therapeutic counsellor. During this time I begun working on the National Domestic Abuse Helpline where I stayed for 2 years before then becoming a domestic abuse advocate supporting survivors in the London borough of Lambeth. I was also responsible for training clinicians and GP’s about domestic abuse in Lambeth where I worked in the primary care sector. I then worked as a therapeutic counsellor with the NHS in Lambeth and Wandsworth for 18 months before moving into private practice. These experiences shape how I hold space in the therapy room with an awareness of trauma, power & control, and social inequality.