About Me!
Why Dandelion?
I have chosen the name Dandelion as this is a plant that maybe does not fit in, is considered a weed, it does not belong. This plant does stand out wherever it is, bright yellow or fluffy seeds. This plant is also a big part of continuing growth wherever it is. The nectar is energy for bees who then also move to other "wanted" plants to help with the continued survival due to pollination. This "weed" has a perfect right to grow wherever it is, is a recognition of hope, strength and acceptance for the "flower" that it is and with the wind blowing its seeds, has the chance of new growth.
My Story
My name is Colin Devine and currently I have two jobs, one as a civil servant and the other as a qualified counsellor and supervisor. This was not my background. I was born in Oxford with all my close family living nearby so I always had somewhere to go and eat! My family were also my friends so my childhood was as a totally accepted kid but at the age of ten, all of this changed when sadly my father died of cancer. This had a major affect on my life and I kept all my feelings to myself. Fast forward to adulthood and for the majority of my working life I was a truck driver, that was me. However, after a tough divorce I met and married my lovely wife. We both had children from previous marriages so to help be near both ex partners, we moved to the West Midlands. It was during this time that I had my own personal counselling. I just happened to have a counsellor who was totally accepting of me. This (through patience and courage from us both), led to me looking at "stuff" that had been in my life, mainly the death of loved ones. To me the most amazing part of this was, with the encouragement of my wife and through my own counselling, I looked into a course in Leamington Spa, "An introduction to counselling". This felt so right to me and so I continued on to become a qualified counsellor and then after years of experience, qualifying as a supervisor too.
So here I am now working part time as a civil servant and part time as a counsellor and supervisor.