Meet the therapist - Ziva

At James’ Place, we couldn’t provide help to men facing a suicidal crisis without our team of therapists. Here is a bit more about Ziva who works in the Liverpool Centre. 

Why did you want to work at James’ Place?

I remember reading in the newspaper about James’ Place’s opening and immediately thinking that I wanted to work here. I admired the concept of offering suicide prevention therapy in the community, in a homely environment of a building that doesn’t visually differ from all the others on the street. I was aware that James’ Place was a pioneering concept that responded to a real need – suicide being the lead cause of death for men under 50. As soon as I heard about the job opening, I applied, and more than a year later, I am still proud to be a part of this fantastic team.

What was your background as a therapist before you came to James’ Place?

My background is in person-centred counselling. While training, I was on placement at WHISC (Women’s Health, Information and Support Centre) where I worked with a diverse client base of women. I continued working there for a year after I qualified until I started working at James’ Place. It was an exciting twist of fate going from working exclusively with women to working solely with men.

How has the work been over lockdown?

We worked from home over lockdown; we adapted our intervention and moved it online. I feel that we managed to deliver effective therapy to our clients. We noticed a decrease in referrals during lockdown, but now that we’re seeing people face to face again, we’re getting busier. One thing I missed while working from home was the spontaneous daily interaction with my colleagues.

What do you like to do when you’re not working at James’ Place?

I have another job with People First Merseyside, a self-advocacy organisation for adults with learning disabilities where I facilitate a group. The nature of the job is entirely different from the work I do at James’ Place, but I feel it compliments it well and adds to the variety in my life. When I’m not working, I spend time with my family, socialising with friends and exercising, which keeps me physically and mentally fit. Whenever I can, I travel back home to Slovenia to reconnect with my nearest and dearest and recharge my batteries.

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