Who we are?

Woman with glasses participating in a video call on a laptop, sitting at a wooden table with a notebook, a potted plant, and a window in the background.
Three people taking a selfie indoors; two with faces obscured by yellow star shapes, one smiling woman with glasses in front, and two men in the background with brown and black jackets.

My story

Hi, I’m Danielle – founder of Internally Free, mentor, ex-social worker, and someone who’s done the whole “I’m fine” act while barely hanging on.

For over 20 years, I worked supporting children and families, throughout London and the counties. The last 6+ years were in leadership roles, managing multidisciplinary teams in high-pressure environments. I’ve seen what happens when people run on empty: annual leave left unused, the same illnesses making the rounds, and burnout quietly becoming the norm. I know those pressures because I’ve lived them, both as a manager and as the one carrying on long after the warning signs were there.

In 2021, after years of pushing through, I then caught Covid - which never went away (Long Covid), whilst caring for critically ill Covid impacted family members, all while running a CAMHS team - I hit a wall. My body said no before I gave myself permission to. That moment forced me to stop - I hardly moved out of bed for 6 weeks, no choice but to take stock, and rethink everything.

That year - I left Social Work, one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but it became impossible to ignore what my body and mind were telling me. I needed a way of working that was more honest, more sustainable, and more me.

I moved into a role supporting adults with mental health and neurodiversity, and it opened my eyes in new ways. Around the same time, a close family member was diagnosed with ADHD, and suddenly so much clicked. About them, about me, and about the way our systems often fail people. It made me see how powerful the right kind of flexible, compassionate support can be, and how much of a difference it makes when someone just gets it. That’s when Internally Free began to take shape. Not as a career move, but as a calling.

Internally Free is where I bring my whole self; my clinical insight, my lived experience, and my deep belief that healing is possible. This is the work I love, and the space I’m proud to hold. From my healing journey to yours. I look forward to meeting you.

Thank you for being here x

Who I work with

I support adults navigating:

  • Burnout, stress, work life balance

  • Anxiety and emotional overload

  • ADHD (diagnosed or suspected)

  • Long Covid, chronic fatigue, and post-crisis life transitions

  • Perfectionism, people-pleasing, and imposter syndrome

  • Career change

  • Workplace stress, boundaries, assertive skills

Many of my clients are people used to holding space for others,

who are finally ready to be held themselves.

How I work

Mentoring : it’s not therapy, it’s not coaching, it’s something in between. Where your whole life is welcome, and so is mine.

  • Online or in person sessions - no waiting lists

  • 30-minute or longer options (budget and brain-friendly)

  • No rigid schedules - come when you need to

  • A space where you don’t have to perform, fix, or pretend

I bring a blend of evidence-based strategies; CBT, trauma-informed practice, stress management, motivational interviewing alongside more intuitive tools like Reiki, for those who are open to it.

You’ll get validation, practical strategies, reflection tools, boundary work, and support that fits real life, not just theory.

Community & Giving Back

Giving back has always been close to my heart. I’m the founder of STEPS2TRUST, a volunteer-led initiative supporting asylum seekers on their journey to heal, rebuild, and thrive. Alongside this, my passion for service has taken me from volunteering in an orphanage in Tanzania and supporting homeless communities in Mauritius, to assisting survivors at Grenfell Tower and offering befriending at CRISIS during Christmas in the UK.

These experiences continue to inspire and deepen my belief in the power of empathy, community, and creating safe spaces for healing.

Discovering Reiki

If you are curious about energy work - I offer Reiki sessions as a gentle way to support your mental and emotional wellbeing further. Reiki can help with relaxation, stress reduction, grounding and deeper self-awareness. A calming complement to the practical tools and strategies we work on together.

My healing journey has been rich and layered, I’ve tried and tested many modalities, including Reiki, which have become meaningful parts of my own recovery and the support I offer.

While my approach is rooted in practical strategies and professional insight, I also honor the deeper, sometimes unseen dimensions of healing.

This blend of science, soul, and lived experience is what makes Internally Free a space where authenticity thrives and meaningful change begins.

Why Internally Free?

I know what it’s like to carry the weight of everyone else’s needs while slowly losing touch with your own. To strive, mask, and push through, until your body or mind says: enough.

I understand the bigger picture, the personal, the family, the workplace, and the systemic factors that either support or sabotage recovery!

Internally Free is about helping you find your way back to yourself. To feel more in control, more connected, more whole, more balanced. To stop surviving and start living.

This work isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. I’ve turned my own pain into purpose. And now, I get to walk alongside others as they reclaim their voice, their boundaries, and their joy.

If you’re ready to feel more like yourself again, even if you’re not sure where to start, I am here to guide you through.