Hello, I'm Mandy

I’m a counsellor, a mum and the founder of Re-Connect.

The idea grew from conversations with women who were managing so much but struggling to find room for themselves. I recognised my own experience in those conversations.

Through motherhood, work and all the changes life brings, I’ve had times when I’ve lost touch with what I enjoy, what I need and what gives me energy. Coming back to Re-Connect has been part of making space for those things again in my own life, too.

What I loved most about the original Re-Connect groups was seeing women realise they weren’t the only ones feeling this way. There was something really powerful about having the space to talk, reflect and connect with women who understood

My Story

In my counselling work, I found myself having the same kinds of conversations again and again — about values, boundaries, needs and the parts of ourselves that can quietly get pushed aside when life is busy.
For many women, these weren’t things they’d had much opportunity to think about before. I kept wondering why we so often wait until life feels overwhelming before making space for those conversations.

I wanted women to have practical tools they could use in everyday life, and for looking after their mental wellbeing to feel like something they were allowed to make time for.

I recognised that need because I’d experienced it myself.

After getting married, buying a house and having my daughter, I found it difficult to balance everything. I was trying to be a good mum, wife, friend and counsellor. Somewhere along the way, I felt I’d lost sight of myself.

During Covid, when so much of life paused, I had an opportunity to listen to myself again. I explored different things, rediscovered what I liked and noticed what gave me energy. I felt the best I’d ever felt.

When life resumed, making that space became harder. I had to find smaller ways to stay connected to myself within ordinary, busy days.

Illustration of Mandy holding her baby in her kitchen during renovation, with work papers and dogs nearby

Coming back to myself

Then I had my son. Alongside family life, we were navigating a renovation, financial pressures and needing to move house. Life became very full, and the idea of creating that ongoing community was put to one side. Many of the things that had helped me make room for myself slipped away too

So here I am, returning to Re-Connect while finding space for myself again.

That experience is shaping what I want the programme to offer. I know how easily our own needs can disappear down the list, even when we understand how much they matter. Whatever we take from these sessions needs to have room for that reality.