Wellbeing Advisors

Meet the Team

Sara Childs - wellbeing lead  

^{Counselling can provide opportunities for a person to find calm, understand themselves better and discover more healthy ways of relating to others. I value authenticity and warmth and offer the opportunity to slow down and pay attention to what’s happening beneath the surface through an intentional conversation, drawing on both internal and external resources from withing the university and beyond.}

^{I have worked in education all my life and have been counselling since 2017. I have a strong interest in neurodiversity-affirming and student-centred approaches, as well as spirituality and body awareness. I grew up and went to school locally, did a PGCE at Aberystwyth and volunteer at a local youth club and mother-and-baby group in my spare time. To look after my wellbeing, I do a bit of lifting, walking, and dancing.  My dissertation for my research Masters was in bilingual counselling, and I work in both Welsh and English.}

Alexandra Davies - Wellbeing Advisor

^{With a background in Psychology, I qualified as a counsellor in 2016 and have since worked within both school and university settings, supporting young people and adults through a wide range of challenges. My approach is rooted in humanistic values, but I work in a proactive and flexible way to meet the individual needs of each client.}

^{I believe the therapeutic space should feel welcoming and collaborative. My aim is to offer a space where you can feel heard, supported, and able to explore whatever you need at your own pace. In our one‑at‑a‑time model, each session focuses on what feels most important to you. Whether you’re navigating change, finding university life challenging, or managing difficult emotions, I offer a safe and consistent space to work through your experiences. My focus is always on supporting you to develop insight, confidence, and resilience in a way that feels authentic and meaningful to you, with a relational and attuned presence at the heart of the work}

Daniel Onnen - Wellbeing Advisor

^{Hi I’m Daniel. My role is about supporting students to navigate a wide range of challenges linked to university life, including academic pressures, wellbeing concerns and personal difficulties. I work collaboratively with students to identify practical strategies, access appropriate support, and build confidence in managing their own wellbeing.}

^{Alongside my university role, I am a qualified counsellor (MBACP) and I run my own counselling practice. My approach is compassion-focused, person centred, with an emphasis on developing self-awareness, emotional resilience and a kinder relationship with ourselves and others.}

^{I aim to create a warm, open and non-judgemental space where students can talk freely and feel genuinely heard. I am passionate about creating spaces where people can explore identity and emotional wellbeing safely and I value and celebrate difference and diversity in all its forms. Outside of work, to look after myself, I enjoy playing music, spending time outside in nature and practising Tai Chi.}

 

Hussam Al-Nawab - Wellbeing Advisor    

^{Hi - I am Hussam, a mixed-heritage counsellor and mental health mentor with over ten years’ experience supporting students in the Wellbeing Team at Aber University.}

^{I feel privileged to bring my therapeutic skills and life experience to the helpful conversations I aim to create with students during an OAAT counselling session. These conversations are exploratory in nature, assisting you to find ways for responding usefully to the personal problems and challenging life circumstances you are facing.}

^{During the session we work together collaboratively, with you respected as the expert in your own life, while the counselling framework helps you to review  your relationship to the problem. This process has the potential to allow new perspectives to arise and to identify useful steps for you to take once the session is over.}

^{Originally trained in Other Centred Therapy - an approach combining Eastern and Western psychological methods, I have further training in Solution-Focused & Single-Session Therapy, Walk & Talk counselling and Eco-Therapy. I am currently undergoing an inspiring training in  Narrative Therapy, a post-modernist, non-pathologizing approach to working therapeutically with others.}

^{A passionate lover of music, I write songs and perform with a local band. I can also be found enjoying coastal path walks and winter sea dipping in Cardigan Bay.  I look forward to meeting you for a helpful conversation}