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About Gloria
I have had a long and varied career, ever searching for the right ‘fit’. Over the years it became apparent to me that I derived a greater sense of meaning from hearing, and connecting with the stories of others, than I did from anything the business world had to offer.
When I started my counselling journey, everything seemed to slot into place. I became aware of the transformative power of being heard, the joy and pain of discovering self, and the beauty of acceptance. For me, the constantly evolving discoveries and learning shared in tutoring, counselling and supervision brings appreciation and awareness of the strength and frailty within each of us.
Being a part of Cariño (alongside my colleagues), carrying the flag on behalf of its founders, and sharing common values and vision is deeply fulfilling and gratifying.
The photo above speaks to me of courage, determination, and the beauty that can often bloom as a result.
About Paul
For many years I listened to my clients' stories of joy and despair from behind a barber's chair. This led me to begin counsellor training in 2012, and tutor training in 2019.
Things that I cherish: the poetry hidden amongst everyday things, the courage to be real with myself and others, and the blessings of an introverted personality.
I value the opportunity that Cariño provides: to travel with students down the path of counselling training, to share in their discoveries and provide light if the path gets dark. It is a joy to watch the tight buds of student inexperience bloom into knowledge and self awareness.
I originally studied with Cariño, and I'm honoured to now be part of the tutoring team. We are not a cobbled-together clan of separates. We beat with the same heart, share common values, and adhere to the same person-centred philosophy. And, we truly care about our students.
The above photo speaks to me of impermanence and the cyclical nature of existence. It reminds me to look for the inherent beauty in the mundane.
About Julie
Counselling is a journey that we embark on for a variety of reasons and we know what our reasons are. I began my journey in 2003 and have been fortunate to have worked within this field since I qualified in 2007. It is an honour to sit with people and hear them and to be trusted with their story, their experience and the emotion that lies within.
This picture is something special to me as it represents something, or someone, that will grow no matter what, no matter how small the space or the amount of soil. Dandelions grow under the most challenging of circumstances and a dandelion child is someone who appears to flourish despite adversity, they are adaptable and resilient. Dandelions thrive no matter what.
About Howard
I didn’t know myself. I had an I.T career, and I did all these things I thought I was supposed to. The things I felt I was supposed to be.
You often struggle when younger, but when I began to have a more comfortable life in terms of things like finances, instead of a sense of satisfaction or achievement, there was nothing.
I started to get very angry with my life. I had to start again in my thinking. What was this all about? I fell into an existential hole. I went round the houses trying to find something meaningful. Science. Art. Spirituality. Philosophy. Morality. I found a therapist. This led me to counselling training.
Things fell into place for me, eventually, but I struggled with counselling for a while. It was very different from anything I had done before.
I didn’t have to travel to parts of Asia or South America to ‘find myself’. I found myself at Carino. I learnt who I was at Carino. I accepted, then started to like myself at Carino. I found meaning and satisfaction at Carino.
When asked to come back to Carino to join the teaching team, there wasn’t a moment of hesitation. It’s a passion to be a part of your life-changing self-development work.
One of my tutors at Carino would say to us, “We are all teachers and students. We all learn and grow together”. The best part, you don’t do this by being anything ‘you’re supposed to be’. You do this by finding and being your true, authentic self.
The picture above is a lotus flower. The lotus flower is seeded in the dark depths of water. It grows towards the light, reaches out above the water line, then blossoms. It's as good a metaphor for your potential Carino journey as I could find.