Hi I’m Kelly. I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Life Coach & Martial Arts Instructor.

Also, a Son, Father, Brother, Ex-Husband, Lover, Dog owner, Addict, OCD, Bi-Polar, Occasionally grumpy but mostly Happy & Contented middle-aged man.  Some would say, just a regular, normal bloke.

I’m also hugely passionate about men’s mental health and 100% committed to helping as many guys as I can navigate their way through whatever life throws our way. 

In 2017 I hit rock bottom.  The wheels came off. I had a mental breakdown and I lost everything.  My job, my wife, my son.  I was lucky to keep a roof over my head and were it not for still being able to teach and coach martial arts I would have been homeless too.  All the material possessions I put so much value on and worked so hard to get, were suddenly worth nothing and they too were gone.

I was working as a senior project manager in a global company.  Responsible for managing multiple teams across the globe, and due to the time differences, I was finding more and more that I had to be available almost around the clock.  The pressure to deliver from above was insane.  I knew deep down that I was not coping, but my ego and false pride would not allow me to acknowledge those feelings or take any positive actions around those concerns.   

I had worked so hard for the last decade to get the amazing job, the big house, the flash car, that I had let most of my friendships fade away to nothing and suddenly when I needed someone to talk to,  I looked around, and I just did not have that healthy support network.  Even if I had of had that support, I was terrified to admit I could not handle my affairs.  Real men don’t show their emotions or ask for help right ?  That’s a sign of weakness, I just needed to “man up” – even writing that phrase today still makes me shudder –  How wrong I was!

I started to drink more and more.  Before long, the alcohol became my only source of release.  I was self-medicating and dulling my feelings, instead of facing up to my issues, holding my hands up and asking for help.

I was trapped, sinking fast and absolutely nothing to grab hold of.  I was done. Broken

Why am I telling you all this ? 

Because today, life is good. 

I am absolutely convinced that I have gone through the experiences I have in my life, so I can help, guide and support men who find themselves in a similar position.  My entire mission now is to pass on my knowledge, experience and clinical therapy skills to help as many guys navigate life a little better than I did back in the day.

I have been Teaching and Coaching Martial Arts & Self-defence for over 20 years.   In addition to the physical and technical aspects,  I began to develop my understanding and skills around the psychology of performance and helping fighters, athletes and students with their mindset and focus on specific goals. 

It was when working with individuals on a 121 basis that it became abundantly clear to me that performance was directly linked to mental wellbeing. Mental and emotional blockages would manifest themselves as a physical symptoms, hindering performance.  This clear connection between a healthy Mind and healthy Body was very obvious.

Furthermore, I realised that most of my clients were enjoying having someone to confide in and talk to without being judged.     Everyone that was coming to me, had something they were quietly and secretly carrying around on their shoulders without being able to share the burden with anyone else for fear of looking “weak”.

The sessions naturally developed over time and later I started to offer purely talking therapy sessions outside of the gym, where I would meet my clients for a walk or a coffee in the park.  I noticed that this more casual approach worked particularly well for guys who would be less comfortable in a more sterile environment sitting across a desk from a therapist. 

It was also very clear to me that this was my vocation and that my previous experiences had lead me to this point in my life where I could help other men.   Enthused at the prospect of helping more guys, I set about gaining an official qualification in therapy and I trained and the world-renowned Clifton Practice Hypnotherapy Training Centre in Bristol, UK as a Solution Focused Clinical Hypnotherapist.

And so, we created Veritas.  Mind. Body. Spirit.