About Us

Our SeEd was first planted back in 2014, when Pamela was working as a counsellor and project lead in an East Belfast counselling centre, and Cara just started as a trainee counsellor and Finance Manager. Interestingly, Cara and Pam worked separately and didn’t know each other as colleagues back then.

Both had personal experiences of mental health challenges, suicide, neuro-diversity, loss and trauma. Driven to ensure no one suffered as their loved ones had suffered, they had strong beliefs about what made therapy safe and effective, and that the client should always be put at the centre of everything that they did.

A chance conversation one day in the office, and these two strangers began hunting for premises in Bangor, Co Down, and made the decision to open their own counselling organisation. With no business plan, no long meetings, no feasibility study. They took a giant leap that felt like the right thing to do. Within a week they signed for the keys to a little premises on Market Street, in May 2016, where their journey began with uHub Therapy Centre.

But the story doesn’t stop there….

uHub Therapy Centre quickly grew into one of the most successful counselling organisations in the area. With an outstanding reputation for providing safe, boundaried and ethical counselling to children, teens, adults and families. Known for its innovative approach to mental health, uHub matches clients to one of its many (currently 70 plus) counsellors, children and young peoples, art or play therapists, and does not hold waiting lists of more than a few weeks thanks to its progressive business model. This has enabled uHub to sustain itself without core funding for 8 years. uHub also uses small group sessions (huddles, art, outdoor pursuits, women’s support, carers support - and more!!) as a step up and down from traditional counselling to ensure the service meets the needs of each individual client. uHub is dedicated to its student counsellors, play therapists and art therapists, has a diverse income generation strategy, including a “pay it forward” scheme, and strong relationships with statutory sector bodies, schools, colleges and community organisations.

Cara and Pam knew that therapy wasn’t the right intervention for everyone who enquired. Hence their focus on providing other kinds of support services - like group work… Working frontline they realised a few challenges:

1. People were coming for counselling when they were actually lonely or isolated. Therapy wasnt the right intervention in these instances

2. People left it so long to reach out for help that they were in crisis, and weren’t suitable for transformative therapeutic work

3. People often didn’t know what other community support services where available in their area

4. People felt safer at home, on their digital devices, and weren’t reaching out for help

5. Some areas in NI have very few community services compared to other areas, and its difficult to find your nearest service

6. Self help is becoming more popular, but there is so much of it on the internet, that its hard to know where to start

7. Common mental health and well being challenges are often not well understood, which heightens the stigma around mental ill health

8. People need help finding the right help at the right time.

From these challenges “Find Help NI” sprouted, and has grown into a wonderful tree of support, education and knowledge…

Pam and Cara always had an idea for starting a training centre and in 2023, the time seemed right to plant a new seed… We approached AIM in the summer about becoming an accredited training centre, and in January 2024 we had passed all their checks, got all our little seeds in a line, and they had begun to spout in the form of our first ever training courses - an Introduction to Counselling, to be closely followed by Accredited Level 2, 3 and 4. Driven by a need to grow the very best counsellors possible, so they can go on to work effectively in our community. Cara and Pam have become the best of friends over the years. They are like chalk and cheese - totally different!! With very different strengths (and weaknesses!), they complement each other perfectly, they look out for one another, and they aren’t afraid to say the hard things. They are very grateful for that first SeEd they planted back in May 2016 and for the most wonderful working relationship and friendship that they get to share.

What do SeEd NI do differently?

From the many SeEds planted, Cara and Pam have grown a garden, and each little seedling has grown into its own unique flower. Each complementing and supporting one another.