Imtaz Khaliq was asked by the National Careers Service to share her career journey, and why she finds her role so rewarding, for the job profile section of the service’s website.
She also talks about the day-to-day tasks involved in the job and the skills she needs to provide care.
“I feel it's a privilege to be able to be part of encouraging people into the field because counselling is helped by diversity to create equity so that it is place based and relevant,” said Imtaz, who has worked for ELFT for five years and who joined the Tower Hamlets Talking Therapies team this summer.
Imtaz has been a lead group counsellor for the Trust, run counselling groups for two other London NHS trusts and is involved in a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) trial comparing group arts therapies with group talking therapy. She has also been a peer tutor lead for the Tower Hamlets Recovery College.
She is also passionate about sharing her experience to develop the next generation of counsellors.
“I teach budding counsellors at Westminster Uni and I was on education and skills boards so I know how important it is to be inspired and feel that a role is accessible,” she added.
The video interview is available on the counsellor page of the career service’s job profiles directory.
Imtaz enjoyed a successful career as an award-winning bespoke tailor before becoming a counsellor. She was named by Cosmopolitan magazine as one of the top four tailors in London and has been awarded an MBE for her services to the fashion industry.
She has charted her journey from tailoring to counselling for Therapy Today, the monthly magazine published by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Her article is due to be published in February.