Keely Strange

Keely Strange works across the disability sector at several universities in the United Kingdom, providing one-to-one support that helps students balance study and day-to-day life. She supports a wide range of barriers, including depression, anxiety, PTSD and ADHD, helping people manage both learning and practical challenges.

Over recent years much of Keely’s work has been delivered remotely by telephone, Skype or Zoom. Since qualifying as a counsellor she has continued to offer individual counselling, aiming to create a warm, non-judgemental space where people can explore their feelings and emotions safely. This person-centred approach is also reflected in her day-to-day employment, where she carries responsibility for staff welfare - offering everything from brief supportive conversations to more in-depth discussions.

Her work focuses on helping people understand and regulate their emotions and behaviour, increasing self-awareness to improve both life and work environments. She holds to agreed contractual boundaries and is committed to offering consistent, empathetic support. Keely describes her role as witnessing and facilitating growth and positive change through challenge and tailored assistance.

Within universities she supports students with additional needs to manage anxiety, panic, ADHD, autism and other complex mental and physical conditions so they can progress towards degrees, masters and doctorates. She has many years' experience as a telephone counsellor, developing skills in listening and empathy without visual cues, and also provides face-to-face, person-centred counselling when covering clinic sessions.

Alongside counselling, Keely is responsible for weekly payroll tasks including calculating basic pay, overtime and sickness, and carries out other accounting duties such as bookkeeping. She has worked with people experiencing addiction to alcohol and drugs, managing her own client caseload and using administration, review and solution-focused methods.

Her practice has involved a broad and complex range of issues including relationships, domestic violence, abuse, self-harm, OCD, depression and anxiety, anger management, loss and grief. Through therapeutic skills she assists clients and students to access emotions, build confidence and move toward their potential. Feedback has noted that she is approachable, easy to talk to and able to remain calm in difficult situations.

Keely sees clients at her home and offers home visits, with safeguarding procedures in place. She respects confidentiality, data protection and information sharing. She is a member of the BACP and an accredited member of NCPS, and works in line with the Ethical Principle Framework. Due to the nature of working with vulnerable people she attends fortnightly supervision, preparing for these meetings to manage and reflect on her caseload. She is flexible with the hours and days she can work and has accumulated hundreds of counselling hours over the last 8 years of practice, with 9 years' experience overall.