I arrived in the UK with just £10 and a vision I couldn’t yet articulate. No job. No home. No fluent English. Just a teenager, a baby, and a silent vow that I wouldn’t let my past define me. I carried trauma, court battles, cultural barriers — and still, a small voice inside whispered:
You are here for more.
What followed was not a fairytale, but a fierce rebuilding — one rented room, one minimum-wage job, and one glimmer of hope at a time.
📖 Want to read the full original story featured in Brainz Magazine?
👉 Read it here: From £10 to Purpose – Reclaiming Power, Building Global Impact
The Beginning: Manifesting a Life from Nothing
In those early days, I couldn’t afford the bus fare. I walked miles with my CV in hand, affirming each day that something would come. And one day, it did.
A crumbling house with a cardboard “For Rent” sign became my first home. The landlord returned from abroad just to meet me — something he couldn’t explain. “I don’t know why,” he said, “but I feel you’re the one.”
Then came my first job — from walking into a restaurant I couldn’t afford to eat in. The young man at the door said:
“You’re the one.”
The universe, it seemed, was responding to my inner fire.
The Climb: From Kitchen Assistant to Therapist
Eventually, someone suggested I apply to the NHS. I laughed — I had no experience. But I did it anyway. I started in kitchens. Then, as a healthcare assistant. I studied at night, raised two boys alone, took psychology courses, worked three jobs. I kept going.
I graduated with honours. Completed postgraduate training in therapies. Built credibility. Created stability. But underneath it all, I was burning out.
Because what once felt like a ladder started feeling like a cage.
The Breaking Point: Leaving the NHS to Live
My last NHS role — as a Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner — became the tipping point. Gaslighting, burnout, and systemic pressure cracked me open.
So I made a decision that changed everything:
I chose myself.
In late 2024, I gave my resignation. I began building the next version of my life, leaning on my savings and searching for somewhere that felt like home — not just physically, but energetically.
I explored options in the Middle East, then returned briefly to the UK to arrange care for my pets before accompanying my mother through major surgery in Southern Europe.
That’s when things began to align.
The Leap: A New Home, A New Business, A New Self
I had been searching for homes abroad for weeks, facing rejection after rejection. Then — a breakthrough. The perfect house appeared. I applied. I heard nothing.
Until, out of the blue, the letting agent called. The other contract had fallen through.
“The owner said: Don’t relist it. Call Hendrina. I feel she’s the one.”
This was confirmation. I wasn’t chasing something random — I was following alignment.
I left the UK for good in February 2025.
The Rebirth: Phoenix Series and a Global Practice
I relaunched Mind Empower Therapy as a fully independent, international practice. Within weeks, my private client work matched my NHS salary — without compromising my values or wellbeing.
BetterHelp had been a training ground. My soul’s work was waiting in private practice. And it started to bloom.
Clients began finding me from around the world — leaders, professionals, creatives, couples on the edge — all seeking deeper, soul-led healing.
In 2024/25, I was awarded Online Therapist of the Year – South West England by the Prestige Awards.
I created the Phoenix Series™, blending real stories with therapeutic truth, and began my journey into public speaking and course creation.
Final Message: If You’re in the Fire — You’re Not Alone
This story isn’t about me being extraordinary.
It’s about the human capacity to rise.
I’ve been broke, broken, misunderstood, exhausted, silenced, and underestimated.
And still — here I am.
If you’re in survival mode, please hear me:
You are not your postcode.
You are not your pain.
You are not your mistakes.
You are your courage.
You are your comeback.
Your healing is not selfish. It’s necessary.
Ready to work with me?
🕊️ I now offer trauma-informed therapy, hypnotherapy, couples work, and coaching for individuals navigating burnout, heartbreak, or big transitions.
📩 Ready to explore your next chapter? Visit www.mindempowertherapy.com or connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
Because when you rise, you don’t rise alone.
You carry generations with you.
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