I've been in and out of Therapy since I was a child. It changed the course of my life and I know how many people never get that chance.

My name is Charlton. I'm a counsellor of nine years, and on June 13th I'm walking 192 miles across the country in 13 days with nothing but a tent and a backpack. Starting in St Bees on the west coast and finishing in Robin Hood's Bay in the east. I'll be raising funds for two community interest companies doing the mental health work that matters most.

I grew up in a city called Lincoln and then later moved to Manchester in my late 20s. As both of these places have been my home, I am aiming to raise funds for two community interest companies that are important to me which provide holistic care for the people who live around them. Although this walk is not from one city to the other, it does represent each side of country they're located and is about twice the distance! So I guess you could say, I am walking there and back again.

NW Counselling Hub (NWCH) is a community interest company based in Lincoln which provides Therapy to those who most need it. Working with all ages: children, teens, adults, couples, families and even businesses. Over the years NWCH has also ran groups to tackle loneliness, supported those with cancer and provided spaces for people to connect online and outdoors all under the supervision of one of their counsellors. On top of this they have hosted yearly conferences and trainings on important mental health topics. NWCH was specifically created to help address the gap in access to professional mental health services.

INTRSPCT COLLECTIVE is a Men's mental health movement based in Manchester. It's main focus is providing a community for men to meet up and bond through activity where a lot of heartfelt conversations tend to take place. This includes football, racket, bouldering, running and hiking. In 2024 they ran their first conference which included a 5k run, yoga and then held discussions around important topics about men's mental health. INTRSPCT, although focused on creating a community for men, isn’t exclusively just for them. Family is also an important part to communities ethos and have had special events where everyone is welcome to come along. INTRSPCT is now also looking to support men in funding their Therapy, so they can further their care for it's community. It's mantra (Which I love) is: "You belong here, at your own pace".

Whatever is raised will be split equally between NWCH and INTRSPCT; every pound donated goes directly to both communities.

Why am I doing this? Well...

I have received many hours of Therapy throughout my life, in many different stages of it. It absolutely informed my passion for understanding mental health and the desire to have a part in helping those who struggle with it, just as it helped me.

Those of us who have had effective Therapy understand the relief and peace it can invoke in us. It is very rare to experience a relationship like this outside of counselling just because of how much we uncover about ourselves and develop from it.

So many of us have experienced pain and suffering, yet so few of us get the opportunity to heal from it. In reality, this means that the unresolved pain we live with ends up hurting us throughout our lives and usually (unintentionally), the people in our lives too.

I am big believer that generational trauma exists around us, passed down the line of our family tree. The environments we grow up in shape how we view the world. It shapes the relationships we have with ourselves and others. This affects our self concept, defines our belief systems and with that our behaviour.

In these environments we learn the love we will or won't accept. The love we can or can't reciprocate. It teaches us how to react under stress and how well we can regulate it. It can plant powerful ideas that shape the limits we put on ourselves. This informs the type of partner, friend or parent we may become and it can railroad us on how we think we should live or what is "normal".

So, what can we do?

As a collective, I feel we all have a part to play in the generations that come after us. If we want to teach our children how to be, we must be it. We can begin that repair by starting with ourselves or helping those who can't.

Counselling is great, but it is one to one, and I specifically have an affinity towards these organisations as they provide care to their community through a multitude of ways, to reach the many. They're also not insular and are often collaborating with other organisations outside of their own.

As mentioned above, my desire for whatever funds I manage to raise, is for them to be split equally and go to both of these spaces that are taking care of their communities, so they can continue to have the resources they need in order to run the projects that they do.

Even the smallest of donations all add up and can make a considerable impact if we work together. No donation is too small, and if you cannot support financially, I’d really appreciate your support in sharing the post and helping us reach more people.

I'll be documenting the journey along the way. If this resonates with you, come and find me at Unorthodox Therapy on YouTube and Instagram—where the conversation continues long after the walk is done.

I'll see you when I get there!