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

Operations Director, Placement Co-ordinator
Read more >

Sarah Corrigan

Tutor, Supervisor, Counsellor

Read more >
Claire Wood

Claire Wood

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

Annabel Marshall

Supervisor, Counsellor
Read more >

Bonnie Davies

Tutor, Counsellor
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Michelle Williams

Tutor, Counsellor

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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

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.

Sarah Corrigan

I completed my Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy at The Academy SPACE in 2014.
Other qualifications include;

BA (Hons) degree in Psychology, a Level 4 Certificate in Drug and Alcohol Counselling and PTTLS (Preparing To Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector).  I completed my Clinical Supervisor training in 2023.
I have worked as a counsellor in many different settings including Sheffield Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT); Workplace Wellbeing NHS staff counselling service; CRUSE Bereavement service and Pathways
Domestic Abuse service.  I also work in private practice.
I have supported clients with a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, bereavement, low self-esteem, relationship issues,work related stress, substance misuse and domestic abuse.
I have provided clinical supervision to staff in both my roles within the NHS, and I provide individual and group supervision to Diploma students at the Academy SPACE.
I am also a tutor currently teaching the Foundation course.

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

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.

Bonnie Davies MBACP (Accred.), BA(Hons), PGCE

Prior to becoming a counsellor, Bonnie worked in service delivery at Victim Support, as a shiatsu practitioner in drugs rehabilitation and as a secondary school teacher.  Following this, she gained a degree in integrative-relational counselling from Middlesex University.  Her placement was in an NHS medical practice and she also volunteered for RASASC, a rape and sexual abuse support centre.  Since 2022, she has worked in private practice at Sheffield Wellness Centre and in Derbyshire, seeing adults and couples.  She is currently integrating Internal Family Systems into her practice, having recently completed a 6-month online program on the application of IFS to intimate relationship counselling.

Michelle Wiliams  MA Integrative

Counselling MBACP – works in private practice in Rotherham. She was previously a secondary school English and media studies teacher and pastoral head of sixth form before training to become a counsellor.

She works with a diverse client base but her main areas of interest are neurodiversity, existentialism and major life transitions, particularly bereavement. 

Since graduating, Michelle has returned to Leeds Beckett University as an associate lecturer facilitating personal and professional development groups and assessing counselling skills. 

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

Wendy qualified in Humanistic Counselling in 2015, and has worked at the NHS as a staff counsellor, as well as various charities including general services such as Mind, and more specialist agencies offering support for domestic abuse and sexual violence.  Currently she works at Sheffield Hallam University’s Student wellbeing service, alongside private practice.  Wendy has previously worked in legal casework and IT Service Management, during which time she delivered training and coaching on a wide variety of different topics, and enjoys supporting people in their learning journeys. Previously Wendy has also worked as an academic historian in the field of history of medicine, and has an ongoing interest in the philosophy of mind and epistemology of mental ill-health.