Local Heroes

Community News Local Heroes...

Naomi Marston

Charlotte Wise nominated Naomi Marston, counsellor & psychotherapist and owner of Lifecare Counselling and

Ambassador for local baby loss charity, Abigail’s Footsteps, as a local hero. Charlotte said: “Naomi truly deserves to be nominated as your Local Hero as she works tirelessly every single day to help and support local bereaved parents when there is such a shortage of support services available to them.”

Naomi’s career began in teaching when she taught children with special educational needs in London. She then found her passion was working in the charity sector and became a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist. She has spent the last 26 years helping families with children and babies with life limiting or life-threatening conditions. On supporting families through their journey, Naomi noticed there was very little access to specialist baby loss counselling with an experienced, qualified counsellor, so she set up Lifecare Counselling, a private practice dedicated to helping parents overcome the traumatic loss of their child.

What exactly does Lifecare Counselling offer?

Different forms of counselling to help those who may need it. I pride myself on my experience and expertise surrounding baby loss counselling and believe that any parent who has experienced this type of loss should have the option to seek specialist support should they wish. I help parents to navigate their own grief as well as teach them strategies to grieve as a family in an emotionally healthy way. Parents have the option of either seeing me together as a couple or individually. More recently, I have started to offer Rewind Therapy, a type of non-talking therapy suited for those who may have post-traumatic stress disorder. I see clients from Orpington and the surrounding area but even though I am based locally, I can also speak to clients on the telephone and via video link, which has meant that I have been able to help people from across the UK and even abroad too.

How did you become involved in working for Abigail’s Footsteps?

I met with the founder a couple of years ago, and whilst sharing our journeys and vision to help bereaved parents and families, we agreed it would be good to work together. I was kindly asked to become an ambassador for the charity and, along with fantastic fundraising efforts, the charity can now offer local families six free specialist counselling sessions. In addition, the charity has also raised money to build a bereavement suite in a Kent hospital, provided over 30 ‘Abi Cots’ and trained healthcare professionals on how to support parents through such tragic circumstances. With Vice Presidents of the charity including Cheryl Baker, Sian Lloyd and Julie Etchingham, I am truly honoured that I can be a part of such an incredible team and work for them whenever my services are needed.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There is no typical day! My only typical is my 6:30am dog walk around Orpington, which mentally gives me the headspace to prepare for my day ahead. I deal with people, not pieces of paper or computers, so no day or challenge a client may present is ever the same. Not all of my clients have experienced baby loss either. Some days I will support a mixture of clients and some days I start early or finish late.

What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?

I support people through some of their most difficult and challenging journeys. Life can feel harsh and unkind at times and does not come with a Sat Nav to guide us to our next destination. I feel privileged that my clients have chosen me to be a part of that journey with them. I can’t take away the pain or their experience, but giving people a safe and confidential space to find their way is hugely rewarding and grounding.

What plans do you have for Lifecare Counselling for the future?

In an ideal world I would love people to look at counselling as ‘self-care’ rather than seeking a counsellor because they can no longer cope anymore, or because they feel broken. If we took better care of our mental and emotional wellbeing, we may not get to the ‘I feel broken’ or ‘I am struggling to cope’ stage. We would not hesitate to get a broken arm fixed so why do we view our brains so differently? Highlighting the importance of specialist baby loss counselling will always continue to be a priority for me for the rest of my career. We have such a long way to go for specialist services to be offered not only locally, but UK wide.

How else have you been involved in anything community-related?

I come from a family where volunteering has played an important part in our lives and working within the charity sector has given me a wealth of insights and opportunities to be involved in some really interesting projects. As ambassador for Abigail’s Footsteps, I have taken part in a number of their fundraising activities and will always continue to help raise awareness for such a very important cause.

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