The questionnaire
What would people be surprised to find out about you? I am a huge football fan! I support Aston Villa and I’m always dragging my husband to Birmingham to watch matches at the weekend. I also spend a lot of my free time listening to football podcasts.
Analyse me What motivated you to become a therapist? When I found myself in rehab aged 22 I remember admiring the therapists so much. I loved how they challenged me and got me to look at myself in a totally new way. I ended up doing a foundation course in therapeutic counselling shortly after I left, and continued my journey from there. Do you have a specialist field of practice? I would say that I specialise in addiction and eating disorders, mainly because this is primarily what my clients come to see me about, but I also work with anxiety, depression, relational issues and bereavement. I did my fi rst placement in a bereavement counselling service, so working with clients who are grieving is something I feel passionate about. How has being a therapist changed you? I have more acceptance and patience for myself, and the skills and tools I have learned help me notice my own inner critic before I am drawn into a downward spiral. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? I’ve always wanted to work with professional sportspeople or teams as I’m fascinated by the fast-paced nature of professional sports, how an athlete’s mindset can change minute to minute and how that can a ff ect performance. Talitha Fosh speaks for herself
What do you find challenging about being a therapist? If I don’t put enough breaks in for myself I can fi nd myself feeling stressed and burned out. I also fi nd working with eating disorders to be challenging because I know fi rst-hand the insidious nature of the illness. And rewarding? Working with clients who come to me in pain, who can’t see a way out of their self- destructive behaviours but slowly fi nd a new way of being and living – to be the person who can help them heal and with whom they feel safe enough to be vulnerable is a gift. What is the most recent CPD you’ve undertaken? Was it worthwhile? While researching my recently published book, Hooked: why we are addicted and how to break free , I found studies and new theories about addiction that I wasn’t previously aware of. All this information has also been very worthwhile for my private practice and clients. What book/blog/podcast do you recommend most often? I recommend Dopamine Nation: fi nding balance in the age of indulgence by Dr Anna Lembke (Headline) to clients to help give them a general understanding of why so many of us are constantly seeking more highs, via our smartphones, food and even Net fl ix.
What is your favourite piece of music and why? The soundtrack to the fi rst The Lord of the Rings fi lm is one of my favourites – we even played it at our wedding. It always makes me cry, in a good way, and is a symbol of hope and change. What do you do for self-care/ to relax? I am a quali fi ed yoga teacher and practise yoga at least three to four times a week. This always helps me no matter what mood I am in. I walk every morning to kick-start my day as a way of clearing my mind and getting into nature. What is the meaning of life? The answer to this has changed through the years. When I was in active addiction just over 10 years ago, and in the early stages of my recovery, I would have told you there is no meaning. But today I would say it is to discover who you are in an ever-changing world, to fi nd what brings you joy, and to explore love and all the beautiful things that come with it. Who is your counselling/ psychotherapy hero(ine)? All the therapists who helped me on my journey are my heroes, but in the public space I have found Dr Gabor Maté’s books extremely comforting at times. I also love the digestible and wise way Esther Perel speaks about relationships.
About Talitha Now: Private
practitioner based in London but working predominately online. Author of Hooked: why we are addicted and how to break free , published this month by Watkins. On Instagram @therapised Once was: Journalist on Vogue magazine, followed by three years in fashion and beauty PR. First paid job: While doing my A levels, I worked at a frozen yoghurt shop called Snog!
Who would you like to answer the questionnaire? Email your suggestions to therapytoday@ thinkpublishing.co.uk
THERAPY TODAY 74 MAY 2024
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker