How did I choose to work with animals

My journey from nurse and midwife, to human/animal wellness practitioner and behaviourist

How Did I Get Into Helping Dogs and Cats?

Like most meaningful journeys, mine was anything but straightforward. It was a long, winding path with plenty of pitstops, detours, and a few unexpected passengers along the way, some with four legs and fur.

As a child, I desperately wanted a pet, but it was a firm no, so I had to wait until I moved out. When I finally did, I made up for lost time by fostering German Shepherds whilst living in London in the 1980s. It was both wonderful and challenging and I wanted to keep every single one of them.

Around the same time, a cat decided to move in with us. She belonged to the elderly couple in the flat upstairs, but she spent more time with us and the dogs, than in her own home. I kept taking her back… and she kept returning. Eventually, the couple simply said, “She’s chosen you and choice is everything.”

Those words stayed with me. Long before 'choice' became a cornerstone of ethical animal care, it had already embedded itself into how I related to animals. (They did, however, forget to mention she was pregnant — so a few weeks later, five kittens joined the household too.)

At 18, I began my career in nursing. After qualifying, I specialised in orthopaedics. To progress at that time, a second qualification was required. My first choice was emergency medicine, but when that pathway was full, I opted for midwifery — fully intending to return to nursing after the 18-month course.

Life had other plans and I remained a midwife for over 30 years.

During that time, my interest in human psychology deepened. I completed a BSc (Hons) and specialised in anxiety, fears, phobias and trauma. I went on to establish a service supporting women with needle phobias, childbirth fears and birth trauma, using trauma-resolution approaches such as the Rewind Technique and Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping).

My personal relationship with holistic therapies began much earlier, as a teenager experimenting with aromatherapy and crystals. My poor mother was often the willing recipient of my 'healing experiments'. However, once I entered nursing in the early 1980s, I was very firmly guided down the path of Western medicine. Questioning doctors or prescribed treatments simply wasn’t done back then.

Like many people, though, I began exploring other avenues when searching for ways to manage autoimmune conditions and chronic pain. In the 1990's reflexology, aromatherapy, herbs and energy healing gradually made their way back into my life.

In 2015, everything shifted again when we adopted Grace, an ex-Police dog removed from service because she couldn’t be induced to bite. Grace also lived with anxiety, hyperactivity, reactivity on walks and house soiling. Without realising it at first, I was drawing heavily on my background in human psychology to support her. Studying dog behaviour felt like the natural next step.

Grace became my first case study — and my greatest teacher. Although she is no longer with us, I am deeply grateful for the 6 years we shared. She set me firmly on the path of working with anxious and reactive dogs.

I qualified as a behaviourist and established my own business in 2019. In 2022, I retired from midwifery to focus full-time on holistic behavioural support for dogs and cats, although I still work part-time in my local GP surgery. In 2025, I celebrated 40 years of service within the NHS, something I remain immensely proud of.

Initially, my animal work focused on traditional force-free behavioural support. Then I discovered ACE Free Work, developed by Sarah Fisher. Her approach resonated deeply with my background in holistic human therapy, and I began integrating holistic modalities with my own dogs. Further study followed, qualifying me as a master animal wellness practitioner using essential oils, herbs, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and tapping.

Today, I offer truly holistic behavioural support that prioritises choice for the animal and support for the human. I understand how emotionally challenging it can be to live with an animal experiencing behavioural difficulties. My background in human psychology allows me to create behaviour modification plans that are tailored not only to your animal, but also to you, your personality, your learning style, and your capacity.

Because healing, for animals and humans alike, works best when everyone feels seen, supported, and empowered.

Animals self-selecting herbs and essential oils

I am a member of the Association of Natural Animal Wellness Practitioners and a Board member of the International Canine Behaviourists.

Categories: : Personal Reflections