Rebecca Peartree

What did you do before joining dBs?  

Before joining dBs I worked as a psychotherapeutic counsellor and mental health specialist mentor with university students and young adults. I worked at the University of Birmingham for many years in student support including as a wellbeing officer.

Why did you first get into support work?

While at university in Leeds, I started volunteering at a mental health support cafe run by Mind as I wanted to give back to the local community. I really enjoyed working in this supportive space and, after graduating from university, I got my first job at a charity supporting people to access opportunities and start small businesses. After leaving this job, I moved into student support, counselling and mental health which is very much my passion!

Any special areas of interest?  

I have trained as a psychotherapeutic counsellor alongside working and as part of this I wrote my research on how university support spaces can be more inclusive for LGBTQ+ students which is both professionally and personally important to me. I am also very passionate about ensuring that students who are neurodivergent and/or have disabilities are able to access support to ensure equality of opportunities both academically and otherwise.

What do you love most about what you do?

I find it really rewarding to be able to support students to get the most out of their academic experience at university. It is a real privilege to be the person students can come to in their moments of struggle and to then see them go on to flourish and succeed with the right support makes me even more passionate about my job.  

Tell us about your proudest career moment?‍

Qualifying as a psychotherapeutic counsellor felt like a major achievement as I studied alongside a full time job which was tough at times. I got so much out of my training and it's great to be able to bring the skills and knowledge I gained to my Student Support Manager role.

‍What do you get up to outside of your role at dBs?

Cooking and food is a big part of my life, I previously owned food-based businesses and still love to host dinner parties or supper clubs. I try to get out in nature every day, on the weekends one of my favourite things to do is go on a hike and find a wild swimming spot. Manchester is an amazing city for arts, music and culture -  I try to go to as many live music and art events as I can!  

Tell us something our students may not know about you?

I previously owned a street food business with my friend and we sold Italian food out of a golden caravan at festivals across the UK.

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