About Me, my experience and qualifications

my counselling story

If you’ve reached this page you know my name is Clare Ludlam and I’m a counsellor and with most stories…I didn’t start off as a counsellor.

I started as the client with a counsellor called Barbara and through our work together Barbara provided support and a place to grieve for my Mum which I hadn’t done and to learn that I was in an abusive relationship. 

Further work with Judy and Ingrid, where I was helped and supported in leaving that relationship (and so much more) and eventually meet my husband and be in a wonderful and loving relationship.

I decided to train to be a counsellor as these women and counselling had been instrumental in changing my life.

Since completing my degree I have continued to explore and train in different ways to offer alternative options to help you create the change you want in your life. 

Violets are in memory of my Mum.
Violets are in memory of my Mum.

my experience

Prior to my counselling training, I had worked for a number of years in a Corporate Environment as an employee and manager, as a care provider for the elderly and a person with tetraplegia.

After obtaining my Bachelor of Counselling in 2004 I began my practice as a counsellor working for Catholic Social Services in Wellington which is a community counselling and social work agency.  I was there for 5 ½ years working with individual children, adolescents and adults covering a range of issues.  Alongside my counselling, I facilitated the Ministry of Justice Parenting through Separation Program aimed at how parents can help their children through their separation, and the Seasons for Growth Program working with children in the area of grief.

I started my own counselling private practice in 2010 working with individual clients and also working at Hutt Intermediate School with the students and staff. I finished my work at Hutt Intermediate in 2019 and then extended the time in my private practice.

In 2014 I introduced Laughter Yoga to the services I offer and became a Laughter Yoga Leader and in 2019 completed further training and am now a Laughter Yoga Teacher.     

how laughter yoga came into my life

A number of years ago I became aware that life was a bit serious and I wasn’t having enough fun. I eventually got an email about Laughter Yoga and thought this looks good but I didn’t do anything about it.

About 2 years later, I received another email and this time, the time was right. I showed my husband the video of people in India doing Laughter Yoga and I was laughing watching them….but my husband wasn’t. I asked him ‘don’t you find it funny?’ and he said ‘no’. I asked him ‘doesn’t it make you want to laugh?’ and he said ‘no’…and then he said ‘but I can see it’s for you dear’.

And it was … and it is! There were no Laughter Yoga clubs in my area so I went and did the training myself. Yes, having not done any sessions, I sooo wanted to have more laughter in my life and bring laughter into other peoples lives, that I did the training first. And since February 2015 I’ve been running a Laughter Yoga group/club in Upper Hutt and having so much more fun and laughing much more with the group, in my daily life and taking laughter out to organisations and groups YAY.

But wait there’s more…in 2019 I trained to be a Laughter Yoga Teacher which means I can train others to be Laughter Yoga Leaders so more laughter can be benefited by more people, again YAY.

This is me as a child having fun, playing and laughing...I was meant to do Laughter Yoga.
This is me as a child having fun, playing and laughing...I was meant to do Laughter Yoga.

qualifications & additional training

  • 2004 Bachelor of Counselling, Wellington Institute of Technology.
  • EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Level I and II.
  • Matrix Reimprinting.
  • PSYCH-K Basic, Advanced and PRO.
  • Laughter Yoga Leader and Teacher Training.
  • Advanced Transactional Analysis (2 years).
  • Interactive Drawing Therapy Foundation Course.
  • Introduction to Solution Focused Therapy & Brief Solution Focused Therapy Follow-up.
  • Grounding Workshop.
  • Violence Intervention Programmes (VIPs) Training for Facilitators of Women’s Support and Learning Groups.   

nzac

 “NZAC, the New Zealand Association of Counsellors / Te Roopu Kaiwhiriwhi o Aotearoa is the national professional association that acts for and with counsellors to monitor and improve the service they provide.”

I am a full registered member with NZAC. 

You can refer to the code of ethics on their website www.nzac.org.nz for further information.