A story of change, identity and finding a way forward.
Tam’s approach is shaped by professional counselling training and her own lived experience of limb loss.
The person behind New Roots
Tam Allen is a Mental Health Counsellor from the Swansea Valley, South Wales.
At the age of 40, Tam became a below-knee amputee. Her own experience of limb loss led her to study Counselling and Psychotherapy, after not wanting to be defined simply by being an amputee.
Her journey included a long period of acceptance, social anxiety and finding her sense of self again. Over time, she adapted, adjusted and began to reclaim who she was.
Today, alongside her counselling work, Tam has a particular passion for supporting people experiencing the emotional difficulties surrounding limb loss.
Her aim is simple: to support people as they navigate change, loss and the journey towards finding themselves again.
Not defined by what changed
Tam understands that loss can affect more than the body. It can shape identity, confidence, relationships and the way a person sees themselves. Her experience does not assume that every journey is the same; it brings an understanding that adjustment can be personal, uneven and unhurried.
Why counselling
Counselling offered Tam a way to understand difficult experiences and reconnect with herself. It created room to put language around feelings, to look at identity beyond limb loss and to consider what life might hold next.
Why support people affected by limb loss
Physical care is only one part of the journey. Tam is passionate about creating space for the emotions, questions and shifts in identity that can surround limb loss, without asking anyone to minimise what has happened or follow a prescribed path.
Adjustment is not a straight line
Learning to live with change can include practical milestones, difficult days and moments of renewed confidence. Tam’s own experience included adapting physically while also working through acceptance, anxiety and identity.
Her lived experience is not presented as a blueprint for anybody else. Instead, it helps her meet individual stories with care, patience and respect for their differences.
Explore counselling supportHow Tam hopes the space will feel
Human
A warm, respectful relationship where you can speak openly, without needing to present a polished version of how you feel.
Grounded
No pressure to feel a certain way, reach a particular milestone or move at someone else’s pace.
Hopeful
Making room for possibility, identity and growth while staying honest about the complexity of change.
Clear information matters
- Qualifications
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- FdA Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP-accredited course)
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
- ADHD Certified Professional
- Anxiety Certified Professional
- Online & Telephone Certification
- Specialist Limb Loss Therapist
- Membership
- Professional Member of BACP
- Insurance
- Liability insurance with Everywhen
- Based in
- Swansea Valley, UK
- Working
- Online, with clients across the UK
Would you like to talk with Tam?
You are welcome to get in touch to find out more or discuss whether counselling may be right for you. Tam works online with people across the UK.
Book a Session