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Counsellor and community builder
Hello and welcome. I’m Zena Nicholas, a counsellor and the person behind The Counsellors’ Staffroom and The CoPractice Community, spaces created to support therapists in feeling less isolated and more thoughtfully connected in their work.
Alongside my counselling practice, much of my work is motivated by a belief that therapy as a profession must continually challenge itself in order to better serve both therapists and clients, particularly those from marginalised and minoritised communities.
I am interested in supporting therapists in their professional and personal development through environments that are both warm and challenging. Spaces where people can think carefully about their work, strengthen their skills and remain connected to one another.
My background and identity
I am an Iraqi British, AuDHD therapist working online from my base in South Yorkshire.
From personal experience I understand that navigating different cultural norms and neurotypical expectations can be stressful and overwhelming. These experiences can affect many areas of life and can influence how people understand themselves and their place in the world.
This understanding informs both my work as a therapist and the professional spaces I create.
Creating professional communities
Alongside my clinical practice, I have built professional communities because I have seen how connection can be protective.
In March 2020 I created The Counsellors’ Staffroom, an online community for therapists to connect, share knowledge and feel less alone in their work.
It has since grown into a wider professional platform that also includes The CoPractice Community, a membership space focused on reflective conversations, continuing professional development and supporting therapists to build sustainable professional lives.
For me, therapy and community are closely connected. Both are about creating spaces where people feel able to show up as themselves, reflect on their experiences and grow through relationship.
When community is authentic and honest, rather than perfect or performative, it can become a place where people understand one another’s needs, share purpose and sometimes even find moments of joy.
Anti oppressive practice
Many of us have been led to understand that our mental health issues are created solely from within.
While I recognise the internal strength and power we each hold, I also acknowledge that many people have been and continue to be oppressed, discriminated against and disadvantaged because of their intersecting identities.
In my work I recognise the need to balance an understanding of internal experiences with an awareness of wider social and cultural influences. This means acknowledging systemic issues while remaining attentive to the unique experience of each individual.
Professional membership
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Membership number: 379240.
The BACP register is a public record of counsellors and psychotherapists who meet recognised training standards and work in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework. This includes ongoing supervision, continuing professional development and a commitment to professional standards.
Working with me
My counselling practice is relational and attentive to context, recognising how personal experience is shaped by relationships, culture and environment.
I am committed to creating a space where people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual and anyone who identifies as gender, sex or relationship diverse can feel genuinely welcome and respected.