Adriana Summers – About Me
I am an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Chartered Counselling Psychologist registered to provide clinical services with the UK Health Professions Council, with over thirty years of experience. I am also a European Federation of Psychologists’ Association (EuroPsy) Accredited Clinical and Health Psychologist.
I started Live Life Not Strife in 1996, leaving the corporate world to build a more holistic practice, including creating one of the earliest employee assistance programmes, helping organisations, individuals, and families.
In my private practice, I support individuals, couples and families facing personal, relationship and work challenges. Today, I work with multiple health insurance companies as an approved medical healthcare practitioner with experience working in the NHS.
My History
Whilst I focus solely on my private practice today, I previously led the accreditation of a Taught Doctorate Programme in Counselling Psychology with the British Psychological Society. I was head of the Master’s in Counselling Psychology, an integrative course at Manchester University. The strength of this course was its focus on teaching skills relevant to the individual’s specific challenges, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
For sixteen years, I set up and ran an employee assistance programme, providing consultancy services to senior managers and workplace counselling to employees nationwide. Clients included leading players in construction, banking, retail and accountancy. This enables me to look not only at an individual’s work life but also at how it impacts their personal life, and vice versa.
As an expert, I was involved in the setting up of the Stress Management Standards for the Health and Safety Executive. I also supervised a 5-year World Health Organisation (WHO) project on anxiety and depression for recently diagnosed cancer patients and their families.
Fun Facts
Outside of work, my personal goal for this year is the Santiago de Compostela walk from the Pyrenees into Spain, approximately 700km! I also enjoy singing and have been a member of various singing groups. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling to see as much of the world and its cultures as possible.
