A Career in Education, Counselling and Personal Development
About
James Theard is an experienced educator, counsellor and learning professional whose career spans more than 25 years across education, counselling, mental health support, adult learning, the charitable sector and information technology.
James has built much of his career around education and personal development. His teaching experience has encompassed young people and adults across a variety of learning environments, including academic, vocational and community education. His more recent experience has included Life Skills, Functional Skills, GCSE and A-Level tuition, teaching Maths, English and Sciences and supporting learners working at levels ranging from Entry Level through to GCSE and A-Level.
His approach to education has been complemented by extensive experience in counselling. James has worked as a private counsellor, drawing principally on Rogerian person-centred therapy and existential psychotherapy. Over the course of his counselling work, he has supported hundreds of clients through thousands of live sessions, including people experiencing bereavement, personal trauma and significant life challenges.
A Multidisciplinary Professional Background
James’s experience also extends into the charitable sector. He has worked with organisations including Chester & District MIND, Wrexham MIND, the Alzheimer’s Society and PAPYRUS, alongside voluntary bereavement counselling with Hope House Children’s Hospice. His work has encompassed counselling, fundraising, research and data analysis, including successfully securing funding for the development of a mobile counselling service.
Education has remained a consistent strand throughout James’s professional life. He previously taught Computing and ICT at Yale College and later delivered adult and community learning through Shropshire County Council and Voluntary Action Vale Royal. His teaching has included literacy, numeracy, employment and life skills, as well as academic and vocational computing. During his time with Voluntary Action Vale Royal, James was rated “outstanding” by an Ofsted inspector, while learners regularly achieved a 100% pass rate on his courses.
Earlier in his career, James developed significant experience in information technology, software training and technical support. This background helped establish the analytical, technical and communication skills that would later complement his work across teaching, research, counselling and personal development.
James holds a Master of Urban Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with Psychology from New York University. His professional development also encompasses counselling qualifications, teacher training and assessor credentials, safeguarding and child protection training, and technical qualifications including Cisco and Microsoft training.
Across these different areas of his career, a consistent thread has been an interest in communication, learning and helping people develop. His multidisciplinary background brings together educational experience, therapeutic understanding, technical knowledge and analytical thinking, reflecting a career shaped by adaptability, empathy and clear communication.