About

Where to start!

I was born an only child. My parents went through a very messy separation when I was young, which lasted a considerable amount of time. I remember life being very unsettled, and as I navigated living between two homes with my parents and their new partners, I often felt disorientated and insignificant. My Mum's new partner was an alcoholic, and when I was home alone with him after school, I would lock myself in our downstairs toilet and call my friends for comfort.

When I was 11, my Mum became poorly very suddenly. After numerous tests and scans, it transpired that she had lung cancer as a result of malignant melanoma, and she was given six months to live. I spent the final few weeks of her life living with her in a hospice, travelling to and from school each day. I can still remember the sounds and smells of being surrounded by terminally ill patients and their crying loved ones, coming and going every day.

My Mum passed away on 23rd April 2000.

It was decided that I would go and live with my much older Aunt and Uncle. This meant leaving my family home, moving towns and changing schools, all whilst trying to make sense of what had happened. I continued seeing my Dad at weekends, and we had a lot of fun together.

Life was difficult, but for the first time in a long time, I had routine and stability.

Then, in November 2004, whilst I was at a boyfriend's house, there was a knock on the door. It was my Auntie. She said she had some news and that I'd better sit down. My Dad had suffered a massive, fatal heart attack the night before.

And once again, my world fell away beneath my feet.

I went on to get married, then divorced, and have my son Jack, who was diagnosed with autism at a young age. Adulthood brought more loss, as my Gran, Uncle and Cousin also passed away. I underwent genetic testing for Motor Neurone Disease, which was another incredibly traumatic time (although thankfully, I escaped that gene).

I also found myself in a relationship built around codependency, searching for some sense of security after everything I'd experienced. But no matter how much reassurance I sought, that feeling of security never really came.

As a result of my life experiences, I spent much of my adult life living with worry, anxiety and fear. I became so accustomed to anticipating what might go wrong that it was difficult to fully enjoy what was going right.

Eventually, I hit rock bottom.

One day, I had the realisation that this wasn't the life I wanted to continue living. Despite everything, I had always appreciated being alive and valued life deeply. I knew I didn't want to give up on it, but I also knew I couldn't continue living the way I was. Something had to change, and I was determined to find a way forward.

So I threw myself headfirst into just about every type of therapy going! I devoured books, podcasts and videos on mental health, mindset and self-development every single day. It was during this process that I discovered my fascination with personal growth and understanding why we think, feel and behave the way we do.

Working on myself was one of the most important things I ever did. I began to recognise patterns I'd developed through my experiences, understand the beliefs I'd formed about myself and the world, and realise how much influence these things were having on my everyday life.

It certainly wasn't an overnight transformation. It took years of hard work, uncomfortable reflection and a genuine willingness to do things differently. But gradually, I began to feel more confident, secure and capable of managing the challenges life presented.

One of my proudest achievements was learning to navigate life without relying on anxiety medication, and actually beginning to enjoy it! Not because life had suddenly become easy or because anxiety had disappeared entirely, but because I had developed a much greater understanding of myself and how to manage it.

Through this journey, I realised that everything I'd learnt and experienced could be used to help others. I had developed such a passion for personal growth that the prospect of supporting other people through their own challenges felt incredibly exciting.

I decided to retrain, completing courses in Life Coaching, Counselling Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Positive Psychology, Addiction Therapy and Meditation, amongst others, passing with distinction.

Then, in 2020, I took a huge leap of faith. I quit the job I'd held for ten years and founded Empowered House.

And the rest, as they say, is history!

Since then, I've had the privilege of supporting hundreds of individuals and couples through their own challenges. My work has continued to grow and evolve, particularly in the areas of anxiety, relationships, emotional regulation, confidence and personal growth.

My drive for founding Empowered House was, and always will be, to become the person for others that I had so desperately wanted for myself.

Someone who would listen without judgement, offer genuine understanding and provide encouragement, but who would also help me challenge the beliefs and patterns that were holding me back.

I want Empowered House to feel like a home. Somewhere you feel truly valued, heard and understood. A space where you can speak openly, explore the things you're struggling with and feel supported in making meaningful changes in your life.

I can't promise that life will always be easy, or that difficult experiences and emotions will disappear. But I wholeheartedly believe in our ability to grow, learn and find new ways forward, even when life hasn't turned out quite as we'd hoped.

Today, I’m fortunate to be in a loving, stable relationship and part of a wonderful blended family. Having experienced both the challenges of unhealthy relationships and the security of a healthy one, I’ve gained an even deeper appreciation for the importance of communication, understanding and the relationships we build with ourselves and others.


Holly x