brad stone therapy

My childhood dream was to have a positive impact on the world
As a 1970's 'Thunderbirds kid', my idea was to build a space-ship, kidnap world leaders and force them to stop all wars. Nice idea but totally impractical and wouldn't work even if such a craft were created - some people are so filled with hate and greed they don't care how many die in the wars they create.

Studied engineering and graduated with a 2.1 degree but by then had written my first novel and decided to be a writer. Turning down jobs at IBM and the London Stock Exchange, took a summer job on a farm - to make enough money to buy a computer for writing. This was during 1991 and the fall of the Soviet Union, with lots of Eastern Europeans working on the farm - the start of my links to that part of the world. The photo above was taken in Poland, in the border town where I would live for six years. The town's name literally translates as 'happy'.

In 1993, wrote a Terry-Pratchet style comedy and a computer guide, which became the first to gain the Plain English Campaign's Crystal Mark. Competitors squashed it so had to get a 'normal job' - as an in-house writer at Saga Holidays. Two years later, left to become a very well-paid freelancer in London then left this to live in Poland, to be with the summer-job barista working in the cafe over the road before going back to complete her studies in the 'happy' town. She dumped me after three months - her single best friend, jealous of our relationship, lied I had been cheating.

Deciding to remain in Poland, to make something good out of something bad. By 1998 was an English teacher at the University of Silesia; writing feature-length film scripts and making them into ultra-low budget films. The Nowe Horizonty (New Horizons) film festival came to the town and had a great night getting hammered with the patron himself: Roman Gutek. The films and teaching continued until 2003, when returned to England with my new partner, expecting our first child.

We got married and had two children but separated in 2013, due to her domestic abuse. In 2014, the children and I moved to Milton Keynes, following multi-agency advice to escape before she got out of prison, as she was actively trying to kill us.

Became a single parent, living in hiding under a new name, in a new town with no help or support. My psychology went to a very low place - drinking and crying every night on the sofa, in what now felt like a home prison, as the kids slept peacefully upstairs. It was a road to nowhere, so took myself to therapy and began the journey of rebuilding myself and my life.

So here I am, enjoying life as a qualified therapist and writing better than ever. Maybe not helping the world but very much helping my clients. Perhaps that is how it was always supposed to be.

In my 20's, completed Reiki I and II.
The move to Poland ended my ambitions for achieving Reiki Master. Decades later, after a spiritual re-awakening, returned to Christianity yet do not consider myself religious. To me the most important thing is the kindness and love in someone's heart, not how many times rituals are performed.
Clients come from multiple faiths and no faiths. While happy to discuss spirituality, it is not part of the sessions unless a client asks for it to be so.

Yoga
Started practising a few years ago and absolutely love it.

Employment Background
Previous job experiences are broad and help give a good understanding of client realities and day to day needs - including the importance of session flexibility for shift workers and single parents.
In no particular order, have worked as: paper-boy, shelf-stacker, farm worker, stable hand, horse rider, chauffeur, van driver, lorry driver, investigative journalist, undercover journalist, researcher, senior researcher, film maker, documentary maker, producer, editor, teacher, presenter, developer of teaching materials, warehouse worker, aerial photography seller (door to door), writer, parent and single parent. As all parents know, parenting is a job.