Counselling Team
Daryle Fortescue
Registered Manager
Daryle has been worked in the field of addiction treatment for 20+ years after joining The Providence Projects from another residential rehab centre. Daryle is passionate about individual treatment planning as opposed to a one size fits all approach and is keen to ensure that treatment delivery at The Providence Projects continues to evolve with latest evidence based practices. Daryle loves facilitating group therapy sessions and helped to design the aftercare programme at The Providence Projects.
Steve Spiegel
Counsellor
Steve, our founder, started The Providence Projects in 1996. He officially retired in 2013 but we can’t keep him away! Steve’s passion for helping people in recovery is unparalleled and you will still regularly see him around the centre. Steve still facilitates group therapy sessions, workshops, assignments and delivers his famous relationship workshops.
Clinton McIntosh
Counsellor
Clinton started with us in our project in Weymouth many years ago and moved to our Bournemouth facility in 2008. Clinton also has an advanced diploma in Counselling and is accredited with BACP. He is passionate about recovery and has an incredibly fun and infectious spirit. He has a great ability to help people develop a positive outlook and self-belief. Clinton is also a fully qualified auricular acupuncturist.
Nicole Rakestraw
Counsellor
Nicole has a degree in addictions counselling and is an accredited Drug and Alcohol Professional with FDAP. Nicole is a superb counsellor who has the ability to nurture our clients through the early stages of their recovery and manages to find that balance of kindness and challenge to ensure a balanced treatment approach. Nicole is passionate that every addict / alcoholic deserves a chance at recovery.
Beth Wignall
Counselling Team
Beth has a beautifully kind and gentle nature and has the fantastic ability to help people in treatment express themselves. With a background and a degree in acting, as well as a passion for Creative Writing, Beth also delivers a range of workshops enabling clients to express their feelings. Beth has Level 4 in Therapeutic Counselling and full BACP accreditation.
Nigel Streeter
Counselling Team
Nigel joined The Providence Projects counselling team in 2021 after working in the local community for drug and alcohol services. Nigel loved the community work but his real passion is seeing people get clean and sober. As well as his studies in counselling, Nigel is also an Advanced Practitioner in Substance Abuse. Nigel is passionate in helping clients address their addiction and is devoted in helping clients find their journey in recovery from addiction.
Helene Stratton
Counselling Team
Having worked in the field for over 15 years, Helen is both experienced and skilled in helping people recover from all types of alcoholism and addiction. Helene has both an Advanced Diploma in Counselling and is currently working towards a specialist degree in Addiction at Bath University. Helene’s mantra is, “Given the right environment, anyone can achieve their goals.”
Lindy Jones
Counselling Team
Lindy has been working in addiction services for the last 13 years supporting adults, young people, children, and families. Lindy joined the Counselling Team at The Providence Project in 2022 and is passionate about recovery. Lindy believes finding the perfect balance between mind and body, opens doors to a healthier and more joyful life. Rest assured sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Lindy has almost completed her level 4 diploma in Counselling and will gain accreditation with the BACP.
Simon Draper
Counselling Team
Simon is a dedicated member of the addiction counselling team, committed to guiding our clients through their transition to a sustainable path of recovery. Having successfully overcome his own personal challenges with addiction, Simon understands the struggles our clients face. His warmth and empathic approach help clients explore the roots of their addiction, develop coping strategies, and embark on a transformative path toward lasting recovery.
Simon is on the verge of completing a diploma in counselling therapy, is a member of the BACP, and is fully committed to his ongoing professional development. He integrates a range of modalities to support our clients effectively.
Elif Okcu
Counselling Team
Elif is the newest additions to our team. She graduated from Izmir University with a degree in Psychology and has completed a master’s degree in Level 7 Clinical Psychology at Bournemouth University. While studying she undertook voluntary and compulsory internships in various hospitals and psychologist clinics which included addiction services.
Her master’s thesis was on the relationship between attachment styles and substance use during adolescence.
She believes that viewing addiction as solely a matter of willpower underestimates the problem and fails to give it the necessary importance.
Elif has training in motivational interviewing techniques and understanding addiction in the field of addiction. Additionally, during therapy sessions,she utilizes the power of Schema Therapy in understanding early childhood experiences, while also benefiting from techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Operations Team
Louise Spanjar
Finance Director
Having joined the organisation in 2000, Lou is the longest serving member of staff! She manages all finance operations at The Providence Projects and runs a tight ship! Fortunately for us, Lou strongly values continuing investment in the organisation, meaning that the staff team continue to keep up with the latest training, accommodation standards are kept high and The Providence Projects remain leaders in the field.
Jon Radcliffe
Admissions Manager
Jon is the admissions manager and oversees the process from your first contact through to the day you start treatment. He joined us at The Providence Projects in 2008 and is able to take you through the entire admission process. He will explain how the treatment works, help you arrange transport into rehab, liaise with the family and be your point of reference right through to the day you start treatment. It would be fair to say that Jon is the gatekeeper!
Lisa Taylor
Administrator
Lisa has about fourteen jobs at The Providence Projects. As well as assisting Jon with the pre-admissions, Lisa’s main role is administrative supporting all staff teams including counselling teams, support teams and accounts teams. She has the superb ability to remain calm while multitasking!
Support Team
Anita Rowe
Support Team
Normally the first person you will see on arrival, Anita oversees reception duties. Whenever you walk through reception, you will always see at least one of the residents talking to Anita. She has that natural personality that means people want to tell her their problems! Between groups, residents love chatting with her. Anita is also the voice at the end of the phone for families calling in.
Cherril Moore
Support Team
Cherril has been with us since 2004 and is now part of The Providence Furniture! An absolute natural carer, nothing is too much trouble for Cherril who is always prepared to go that extra mile to ensure your stay is comfortable.
Carl Jones
Support Team
Carl is Mr Dependable. He has been at The Project for many years and is a model of professionalism and consistency. He is passionate about recovery and supports clients with all non-therapeutic needs. Working at Providence is far more than a job for Carl.
Chris Gregory
Support Team
Chris is the newest addition to the support team, having been a client himself at the Providence Projects in 2013. He always has a smile on his face and his passion for recovery and helping others means he is loved by clients and staff alike!
Angel Clarke
Support Team
Proud to be a part of an amazing team here at The Provy and have the opportunity to grow by working with my team and the clients. Excellent communication skills and a natural carer, Angel is made for this job! Our clients will tell you that Angel has a great balance of being tough but fair!
Krzysztof Pilarz
Support Team
Krzys is a dedicated student of person-centred counselling on a mission to achieve full accreditation with BACP. With a unique perspective as someone originally from Poland, he brings a fresh approach to his work. He recently embarked on a fulfilling journey as a volunteer at Providence Project, driven by a personal experience of recovery and a genuine passion for helping individuals battling addiction.
Therapists
Suzy Curtis
Therapist
You know when Suzy has put you through your paces. Suzy runs our fitness classes and specialises in boxercise which is a combination of Boxing and Aerobics. These classes are very popular due to Suzy’s fun and energetic spirit. Suzy, who is a highly respected personal trainer was in treatment at The Providence Projects 20 years ago!
Night Staff
Shelley Mitchell
Night Support Worker
I came to the provy in 2016 and relocated. After leaving I realised that I wanted to help people and volunteered at the provy for 18 months. I went out to work as a support worker in a homeless hostel and gained my level 2 in health and social care and qualified as a substance misuse practitioner in 2020. I am very excited to be back at the provy as it was instrumental in my personal recovery and look forward to supporting people at the beginning of theirs.
Tara Nolan
Night Support Worker
Tara has an Advanced Diploma in counselling and is a member of the BACP. Tara is also trained in both Mindfulness and meditation. The combination of her counselling skills along with mindfulness and meditation really helps clients to be in the moment and explore their feelings. Tara strongly believes in everyone’s ability to change and her infectious positivity ripples throughout the centre. She is passionate about supporting our clients to believe in their innate goodness and kindness. Tara has always had love for The Providence Projects, has many years of successful recovery and values how all clients are treated with dignity and respect.
Scott Lavene
Night Support Worker
Scott came through The Provy in 2013 and started working in the arts, providing music and writing workshops for people in recovery or mental health issues. As well as his own arts career Scott continues that work but came back to the Provy as part of the night support staff. It's work he loves, engaging with clients in their first days of treatment and knowing his experience of the centre and also the successful years of recovery have a purpose and give hope.
