About
Hi there, I’m Vanessa Gardiner!
Thank you for visiting my website! A large part of choosing a supervisor is finding someone you trust and feel comfortable with, so let me tell you a bit about myself.
I qualified as a family law solicitor in 2007 and first became a partner in 2010. I later joined RWK Goodman in 2021. I’ve worked in legal aid through to higher fee-paying clients and in small high street firms through to a PLC and top 50 UK firm. Throughout my career, I’ve experienced many of the different cultures, structures, and pressures that are common to most solicitors. In short, wherever you are in your career, and whatever your struggles, challenges, and pressures, I get it. I’ve likely gone through something similar myself.
Like most solicitors, my journey has not been plain sailing. Far from it in fact. I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs, and had times when I’ve absolutely loved my job and times when I’ve really struggled mentally and physically. As solicitors, we have to give a lot of ourselves to our cases and our clients, and over the years I’ve realised how important it is to reflect on and process our experiences and feelings, so we don’t burn ourselves out. When people ask me why I became a supervisor, I always say the same thing – because I wish I had had supervision when I was working throughout my career. Training to become a supervisor was originally an outlet for my own struggles and issues, but now I love nothing more than helping others benefit from this powerful exercise.
Being in family law, I’ve spent many years listening and caring for people, and these skills are now at the heart of what I do as a supervisor. I don’t take the responsibility of being a supervisor lightly either – there’s nothing more important to me than helping my supervisees process their experiences in a healthy way and learn the coping mechanisms that are crucial for a long and successful career in our industry. I strongly believe that life should be a continuous journey of growth, and that’s exactly what my supervision is all about. It’s a workout for your mind and soul, to ensure you heal, grow, and stay mentally and physically strong for the long term.
I’m based in Reading, Berkshire, but I help legal workers from all over the UK in person or via video call. No matter what your legal background or what stage you are in your career, I’m confident you’ll benefit hugely from our sessions. In fact, I’m so confident in this that I offer a free 60-minute session for us to get to know each other and see if we’re a good fit. You can book your free 60-minute session here. I look forward to meeting you and helping you build resilience, peace and confidence, at work and at home.