Welcome to
The Academy Space

Our courses are taught in person and take place at our Sheffield-based training academy.

The Academy Space offers a comfortable, relaxed, homely environment in which to learn.

The Academy is run by our three directors Gail Evans, Julie Howorth and Sally Lee, and both courses are taught by highly skilled practitioner tutors and supervisors.

Why study with us?

experts
Solid and professional training delivered by knowledgeable, expert practitioner-tutors
support
Our three year Diploma course supports you through to completion of all training requirements
integrity

We place a high value on integrity, ethical practice and working within difference, and this is reflected in how our courses are delivered

placement

Past students have all gained placement experience in the public and voluntary sectors

small-classes
Small classes (max 14), taught in a comfortable, spacious environment
learning-materials
Learning materials, refreshments and specialist library provided

Discover more about our courses

Foundations of Counselling
Diploma in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy

Meet the team

Gail Evans

Founder & Director, Author, Counsellor
Read more >
Julie Howorth

Julie Howorth

Director, Tutor, Supervisor, Counsellor
Read more >
Sally Lee

Sally Lee

Operations Director, Placement Co-ordinator
Read more >
Suzy Henry

Suzy Henry

Tutor (Diploma), Supervisor, Therapist
Read more >
Claire Wood

Claire Wood

Tutor, Supervisor, Counsellor
Read more >
Annabel Marshall-Foster
Annabel Marshall-Foster
Supervisor, Counsellor
Read more >
Zoe Hilbert

Zoe Hilbert

Tutor, Counsellor
Read more >
Judi Harrison

Judi Harrison

Tutor, Supervisor, Counsellor
Read more >
Wendy Neil

Wendy Neil

Tutor, Counsellor
Read more >

Student Feedback

“I enjoyed the way the module was delivered, my learning style requires time to process things and I did not feel pressured by the teaching methods.”

Past students

Sheffield Psychotherapy
and Counselling Education

The Coach House, 1A Filey Street, Broomhall, Sheffield S10 2FF
Tel. 07977 287485 Email. enquiries@counsellingacademy.org

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Gail Evans

Gail Evans is the founder and Director of The Academy Space.

Gail has been involved in supporting people who are in emotional and other life difficulties most of her working life, initially in volunteering, then in social work. Her path from becoming a counsellor, to psychosexual therapist, trainer, clinical supervisor, university lecturer and author started in 1983. From 1993 to 2010 Gail worked for Sheffield Hallam University teaching counselling and later heading the Counselling Studies Unit. In 2006 Gail set up a counselling centre in Sheffield (Cornerstone) with a colleague, which continues to thrive. 

In 2010 when SHU ceased professional training for prospective counsellors Gail sought permission to set those courses up as part of a private training initiative. SHU was very supportive, and so The Academy Space came into being. The motivations for all Gail’s work have been a wish to relieve suffering and to experience the joy of seeing others grow and develop (and, of course, to heal some of her own wounds along the way).

Julie Howorth

Julie is Programme Director. Formerly a primary school teacher, she has worked in the education sector for over 35 years and currently oversees teaching and learning across the Foundation and Diploma courses. Julie has taught counselling at Certificate and Diploma level at Doncaster College, Sheffield Hallam University and The Academy Space.

Since qualifying as a counsellor in 2004 Julie worked for 7 years as a counsellor at Doncaster Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre and then Sheffield Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling Service, where her role also included Placement Coordination and Supervision. She has worked as a counsellor and supervisor in private practice for the past 12 years.

Sally Lee

As Operations Director, Sally is responsible for managing the administration, marketing and finances at The Academy Space as well as coordinating placements and the Professional and Development Forum.

Formerly Clinical Manager for a Counselling Service in Chesterfield and Practice Manager at Wellforce Integrated Medicine Service in Sheffield. During training as a counsellor she had placements at SRASACS, Sheffield and the University of Sheffield.

Suzy Henry

Suzy is an independent person-centred counsellor/psychotherapist and supervisor working in Sheffield. She has published chapters on working within the diversity field for books including Anti-Discriminatory Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy (2010) and The Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy Handbook (2016).

Suzy has also co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of The Handbook of Person-Centred Psychotherapy and Counselling, due for release on 3rd October 2024.  The chapter, written with Colin Lago and Divine Charura, is entitled Diversity, intersectionality and person-centred psychology: radical foundation, contemporary perspectives and cultural change.

Suzy was born with a cleft lip and palate; her appearance informs her writing, which explores the impact of discriminatory behaviour on the identity of people who are viewed as ‘different’ or ‘other’ in their society and who have suffered oppression and marginalisation precisely because of this sometimes indirect and subtle psycho-social phenomena – influences from which therapists are not immune.

As a young woman, Suzy trained in fine art, before working in a bookshop during her twenties.  Whilst training as a therapist, she worked as a support, time & recovery worker for the NHS in Sheffield‘s Crisis Intervention Service and then for eight years as a therapist working with children and young people in the voluntary sector.

She is former Chair of the Person-Centred Association in the UK.  Her interests include the effects of power within therapy relationships, in the effects of trauma and abuses of power, personally, politically and culturally, and the question of how self-hatred develops, who enables it, what are its consequences and how to work therapeutically with people experiencing internalised oppression and identity wounding.

Claire Wood

Claire has worked within the field of eating disorders for ten years, both as a Clinical Manager and Counsellor in a voluntary sector community setting, and in more recent years as a manager within an independent sector inpatient unit, working in contract with the NHS.

She qualified as a Counsellor in 2008 and alongside her other work has a private practice based at Cornerstone where she sees a range of clients with a variety of presenting issues.

Claire has worked with The Academy Space for several years, previously delivering the Foundation course including workshops on Eating Disorders. Claire is now a tutor and Supervisor on the Diploma course.

Annabel Marshall-Foster

Annabel qualified as an Integrative counsellor/psychotherapist in 2016, after gaining a Professional Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy from The Academy Space in Sheffield. This led her onto work within an eating disorders charity as a counsellor and later into a role as clinical coordinator managing a project covering South Yorkshire for individuals living with and experiencing an eating disorder and their carers. Alongside this, Annabel worked with the IAPT service working with people experiencing depression and anxiety.

In 2019 Annabel trained as a Clinical supervisor at The Leeds Centre of Psychological Development and gained her qualification as a Clinical Supervisor in January 2020. In 2021 she set up in private practice offering counselling, Psychotherapy, and clinical supervision. alongside delivering supervision for trainee counsellors at The Academy Space.

Zoe Hilbert

Zoe Hilbert is a tutor on the Diploma Course. Zoe started in private practice in 2018 working with adults in Sheffield and has run CPD training to students and qualified therapists. Zoe would describe herself as a trauma informed creative integrative therapist, with a keen interest in compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and the wellbeing of professionals. Zoe is a therapist and supervisor for Vida Sheffield and has been part of the Eva Therapy team since 2014, where she started her first placement. Zoe works with women and girls whose lives are affected by any kind of abuse and trauma; with many clients experiencing depression, anxiety and symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress. Within the Eva Therapy Service Zoe has facilitated self-esteem and trauma programmes and psycho-education programmes.

Judi Harrison

Judi worked as a teacher and then re-trained as a counsellor. She has worked as a counsellor for Rape Crisis, Carers in Bedfordshire and school counsellor in Cambridgeshire. She now has a thriving private practice based at Cornerstone Counselling Centre. After qualifying as a supervisor, she has supervised student counsellors as well as those who are fully qualified. She uses her experience as a teacher and a supervisor to work with pastoral staff in a number of schools. She has also worked as a college lecturer at all levels, including a Level 4 Diploma and joins us as a Tutor on the Foundation course and clinical supervisor on the Diploma.

Wendy Neil: BA (Hons), MSc, AET, MNCPS.

Wendy has previously worked as an academic historian, legal administrator and in IT service management prior to retraining as a counsellor.

Throughout her working life Wendy has delivered training and coaching on a wide variety of different topics, and has enjoyed supporting students and trainees on their learning journeys.

As a counsellor, she has worked for the NHS and various local charities, and currently works at Sheffield Hallam University Student wellbeing service, alongside private practice.