![\"Kirsty](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_NGR-090625-RAINORSHINE02.jpg\")
Kirsty Laing set up Rain or Shine Counselling in Sunderland(Image: NE BIC)<\/p>\nKirsty Laing set up Rain or Shine Counselling in Sunderland with the support of North East Business and Innovation CentreKirsty Laing set up Rain or Shine Counselling in Sunderland(Image: NE BIC)<\/p>\n
Experiencing one of the lowest points of her life helped this counsellor set up her own therapy business \u2013 and she says she’s never felt prouder of who she is. Kirsty Laing, who lives in Pennywell, Sunderland<\/a>, with her daughters Poppy and Millie, said there was a time she “felt like a Stretch Armstrong.”<\/p>\n “I was pulled in every direction trying to please everyone but pleasing nobody \u2013 especially not myself”, said Kirsty as she reflected on life as a single parent, juggling demands of motherhood, full-time employment as a therapist and personal struggles.<\/p>\n But eventually Kirsty reached a point where she felt something needed to change. She starting to invest in herself \u2013 through her own personal counselling, holistic therapies and goal-setting. And though she’d always considered self-employment as an unrealistic goal, she began to view it as something achievable.<\/p>\n Kirsty said: “I walked into a sound bath session one day, and the man running it asked me what I did for a living. When I told him I was a counsellor, he asked me for my business page. I didn\u2019t have one. In that moment I realised I wanted to start my own business and I knew I could do it.”She added: “By working on myself in my own therapy, I\u2019d found the confidence to take myself seriously and that\u2019s how Rain or Shine was born. By growing as a person, I\u2019ve been able to grow a business. I\u2019ve reinvented life for me and my children and now I want to help others to do the same.”Rain or Shine Counselling offers one-to-one therapy, group sessions, wellbeing workshops and remote support by telephone and video. Kirsty has a particular passion for working with young people and families and is on a mission to make therapy feel more human, accessible and even joyful.Kirsty said: \u201cPeople often think of counselling as something heavy or clinical, but I\u2019ve had more laughs in the counselling room than tears,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about connection, honesty, and growth and that often includes humour and joy, even when you are having the most difficult conversations.\u201dKirsty got in touch with North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) after a recommendation from a fellow counsellor and began turning her business dream into a reality. She took part in a series of workshops, accessed mentoring and was introduced to Hina Joshi, her own dedicated Business Adviser, who guided her through registering her business, building a plan and growing her confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cWe actually registered Kirsty with HMRC the very first day we met!\u201d said Hina, \u201cShe was nervous about her decision at that point but she knew she wanted to help others. She was lacking in confidence and suffering with imposter syndrome but we knew we could work on that.<\/p>\n \u201cSince then, her confidence has blossomed. She\u2019s now delivering wellbeing sessions for corporate clients, has spoken at the BIC\u2019s Inspire Lab event where she was once an aspiring entrepreneur, and is a real inspiration to others thinking of starting their own venture.\u201d<\/p>\n Our ChronicleLive Daily newsletter is free. You can sign up to receive it here<\/strong><\/a>. It will keep you up to date with all the latest breaking news and top stories from the North East.<\/strong><\/p>\n The start-up support from the BIC forms part of Enterprising Sunderland which has received \u00a3523,541 from the Government\u2019s UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme, managed in Sunderland by Sunderland City Council on behalf of the Sunderland Partnership.Kirsty added: \u201cBeing part of Enterprising Sunderland has made me feel less alone. It\u2019s easy to feel isolated when you\u2019re self-employed, especially in a caring profession, but the support has given me a real sense of community, and I\u2019ve made friends for life.\u201cI\u2019ve had many laughs along the way too. I like that there is a sense of connection and the encouragement I\u2019ve received has been just as important as the business support.\u201dNow working part-time for the NHS<\/a> and part-time in her own business, Kirsty has also hit a personal milestone \u2013 coming off benefits entirely.Kirsty said: “I\u2019ve always worked full-time, but I\u2019ve always struggled. One of my biggest goals was to be financially independent and I\u2019ve done that. I\u2019m so proud of myself. When I look in the mirror now, I see a different person looking back. I keep having pinch-me moments when I get paid for doing something I love. The endorphin hit I get from every client I help is just incredible.\u201cMy message to anyone thinking about starting a business is to just go for it. The worst that can happen is you learn something. The best that can happen is you create something that\u2019s truly yours, something that reflects your values, your passion and your purpose \u2013 just like I have.\u201dCllr Kevin Johnston, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Business at Sunderland City Council, said: \u201cEnterprising Sunderland has made such a positive contribution to the city\u2019s economy, and it\u2019s great to see start-ups like Rain or Shine take shape, offering mental health and wellness support in the region. We want to ensure entrepreneurs are equipped with the necessary tools to grow, and thanks to Enterprising Sunderland, Kirsty has built something that supports her family and surrounding community and I\u2019m sure her story will inspire others to that first step in starting their own business.”Kirsty\u2019s next goal is to find a permanent home for Rain or Shine Counselling, a space where she can grow the services offered and reach even more people in need of support. To contact Kirsty, connect with her on LinkedIn<\/a> or visit the company Facebook page. <\/a>Alternatively, you can call 0191 704 2311.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kirsty Laing set up Rain or Shine Counselling in Sunderland with the support of North East Business and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":174890,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4317],"tags":[105,218,211,2958,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-174889","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-mental-health","10":"tag-nhs","11":"tag-sunderland","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174889\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}