A student at the University of South Wales (USW) has dedicated more than 150 hours to supporting people through counselling and mental health services while training to become a counsellor.
Chamathka Veenavi, from Newport, is studying a BA (Hons) Counselling and Therapeutic Studies degree. She has gone far beyond the required placement hours for her course, volunteering with community counselling services, schools, and the NHS to support children, young people, and adults.
Originally from Sri Lanka, Chamathka moved to the UK three years ago after working as a teacher for five years. Inspired by the impact she witnessed mental health difficulties having on children, she made the decision to retrain as a counsellor.
“I wanted to help children in a more meaningful way,” she said.
“As a teacher, you could see when children were struggling, but there were limits to what you could do. I realised I needed the right training and qualifications to really support them.”
As part of her degree, students are required to undertake clinical placement hours over the two years. However, Chamathka has significantly exceeded this through volunteering with British Heart Foundation, Newport Council's Talking Zone service, and the Cardiff and Vale Health Board Employee Wellbeing Service.
Chamathka said:
“Though it's voluntary work, it gives you an additional set of skills and confidence. You grow every day, and you realise how important it is just to listen and give people space to talk.”
She believes volunteering has been invaluable in preparing her for a future career in counselling.
“If I had said no to volunteering, I don't think I'd have the confidence or experience I have now,” she said. “The need for mental health support is huge, and if I can help even one person, that matters.”
“Making such a big change in terms of my career was nerve-wracking at first, but it was so worth it,” she added. “Volunteering helped me grow personally and professionally, and I'm proud that I took that challenge on.”
