Name: Joanne Nicholson
Age: 40 years
Lives: Brightlingsea
What is your job? Art Psychotherapist
What does this involve? Providing Art Psychotherapy specialist palliative care service to individuals and their families facing life threatening illness. To offer individual and/or group art psychotherapy to children and adults in the Inpatient Unit, Day Centre and in the community of the two geographical areas of Colchester and Tendring
What are your hobbies? Running !!! Oh no there is more to life than running. Art - I maintain my own art practice, swimming, dancing and reading.
How did you get into running and what training have you done so far? I have always been fairly physically active until having my baby in 2006. I started running again in June 2007 – very steadily. I have very slowly picked up the running regularity and the distance over the last few months and am currently running 24 miles a week with a long run of 8 miles.
What does it mean to you to be able to run for the hospice?
When I started training to be an Art Psychotherapist 12 years ago, St Helena Hospice was my first Clinical Training Placement. I have now worked here for the last five years and I feel passionately about the work the individuals here do for patients and families. Although I have given much professionally to the organisation I feel the time is right to make a commitment which is more personal. This coincides with my 40th year and the overwhelming gratitude I have for having my daughter which culminates with my commitment to run the London Marathon for the Hospice and raise as much money as possible.
