Mr Edward Christmas
Member Status: Registrant
Member No: HYP18-05377
Location: Colchester
I was born in England, and stayed until I was 8 then moved to France with my mother to be closer to her family. This proved to be a blessing, as learning a new language and being exposed to a very multi-cultural group of people had taught me a lot about humanity, diversity and communication.
At 18, I left school and went back to the UK to attend university. Here I grew a little and figured out an interest in philosophy and psychology - especially where it is shared between cultural groups, creeds and ages. What makes us all human. What centres and unites all of us.
I then went travelling. Here is where I learned the most in the shortest space of time. A lot of it was relaxing on beaches and spending time with friends, or with my own company. But through this, I became much more sensitive, accepting, and attuned to others. Through this, I feel that I overcame some of the troubles and questions that I had been carrying around with me, both knowingly and unknowingly.
Once I was ready, I returned to Europe and found work, making money for the next trip. I then went to New Zealand and Australia where I feel I rounded out the insights I gained from my first travel alone, and found my career path - Therapy.
People had told me from a fairly young age that I would make a good therapist or a good journalist. Something about asking questions. Somewhere in that time I turned away from journalism. And then I was nudged towards therapy, and I'm very glad for it.
Over the last two and a half years, since returning from travel, I have worked with people with learning disabilities and severe autism, passed my driving license (point of pride for me, spending 3 years between attempt one and two), completed a hypnotherapy course, completed an introductory and a counselling skills course, and have started training towards a second hypnotherapy qualification.
Throughout all of this, I feel that I have become a better listener, and that has made a world of difference.