Amira is a behavioural health and wellbeing coach, passionate about supporting young people as they navigate life’s challenges. Her approach recognises that individuals already possess the tools and insights they need to create meaningful change.

She has a Master’s degree in Psychotherapy and Counselling and is now training to become an integrative psychotherapist. She’s also an artist. Painting abstractly with no confines, her art is a form of personal psychic healing.

1. What is your favourite memory of Roedean?

Starting off strong with a really hard question, as there really are so many memories that I hold so fondly, but I suppose my favourite memory of Roedean is being with the sheep.

The farm was created whilst I was in Keswick, and I’d often go up there and read to them, cry to them, sing to them- being in the company of such kind animals is something I miss terribly.

 2. What was the best piece of advice you were given whilst at School?

I struggle to recall a specific piece of advice, but I felt largely influenced by my Psychology teacher’s way of being, which was through being compassionate and curious.

 3. When you were at Roedean, what did you want to be when you ‘grew-up’?

Haha, as a young 14 year old I think I was quite literal in my dreams and just wanted to be an adult when I grew up, and as I approached my later years I wanted to be a Psychologist or a Psychotherapist.

 4. What are you now you’ve grown up?

 Well, I am an adult- I’m also a trainee Psychotherapist, an Artist and a Writer… I’m many things!

Not to get too existential and away from the original question, but I’ve always found the question of “what do you want to be when you grow up” a really interesting one, the implication is of course what career do you wish to pursue, but I’ve always maintained the notion that the correct answer to that question is to just ‘be’.

Perhaps a better question is, ‘how do you want to be when you grow up’, although it doesn’t read well, it allows for more consideration about one’s desires for the future.

 5. What does your job involve?

Well, in a literal sense, I sit in a room with another and we have a dialogue, but beyond the literal it is a journeying through life with another human being.

It involves much self reflection, being curious about another, attuning to the emotional temperament in the room- it’s an incredibly rewarding career.

Every client opens up new considerations of what it means to go through life in their unique way, in that regard much of my work is rooted in transformation.

I mentioned that I am also an artist - which involves painting, and lots of mess, and as for being a writer, I write for a blog where I apply psychoanalytic theory to my own personal life challenges.

 6. What have you done that you are most proud of?

A bit abstract, but discovering my personal life philosophy is probably the thing that I’m most proud of, my journey to getting there, and the comfort I feel in that potentially changing throughout my life.

 7. What are the three objects you would take with you to a desert island?

My journal, a pen, and my cuddly toy from childhood. So nothing to practically assist my survival haha.

8. What books have had a significant influence on you and why?

‘Love’ by the School of Life had a significant influence on me, as it conceptualised a lot of the real complexities of what it means to be in relationship with others- no Romantic fluff.

‘The Series of Unfortunate events’ by Lemony Snicket. I read this religiously as a child, I think I found this really… comforting? The children were always anticipating difficulty, and yet somehow would always make it through.

‘Radical Acceptance’ by Tara Brach. This strongly influenced my way of being in the world, only for the better.

 9. What is on your bucket list?

 Hmm I don’t actually have one, but off the top of my head, probably to be able to paint in every continent, and climbs rocks in various tropical climates.

 10. If you had one year and unlimited funds, what would you do?

I’d probably purchase a bunch of academic courses I’ve always wanted to study, like linguistics! I'd also buy a library that has one of those doors that open by pulling a book, travel to paint, and, buy a farm full of sheep.