In this episode I talk to Vicky Newsome-Hogan, a 60 yr old Transsexual woman who was born in the east end of London and grew up in the care system. Vicky is the epitome of courage, bravery, determination and commitment.
After leaving school she joined the London fire brigade, serving in south London. After four years service she joined the Army enlisting into the infantry and served in NI, Germany and UK and then transferred to Royal Military police. Following training she was posted to Berlin and was serving when the Berlin Wall fell. Vicky completed several other postings before joining the UK civilian Police serving in the midlands.
In 1997 she resigned and retrained and worked with young offenders and in a residential drug & alcohol rehab.
In 1998 Vicky emigrated to Canada with her then wife and children.
Her first two years in Canada she was the senior investigator at a large Private Investigation agency before moving back into social care working with both adult and youth homelessness, addictions and then outreach to children involved in prostitution.
Illness and disability forced her to medically retire and at the same time decided it was time to come out as transgender, a complete secret from literally everyone up until then.
After enduring relentless harassment she decided in 2016 to return to UK and undergo my transition from male to female. Vicky eventually moved to a coastal area, a retirement dream, where she met and married her unbelievably supportive wife who operates a wildlife charity and supported her all the way through PTSD therapy and her transition.
In 2019 Vicky completed her social, legal and medical transition, after which she became heavily involved in charitable work with organisations such as the Samaritans, and various community projects. Vicky was eventually diagnosed with chronic CPTSD and after going to several unsuccessful therapists and found ICARUS where she began treatment with Simon Maryan. During this period she discontinued her voluntary work in order to undergo treatment and to complete her medical transition.
After about 2 years of intense and sometimes extremely difficult therapy her treatment was successful and she again felt she was ready to begin voluntary work as Hampshire & Isle of Wight Crimestoppers committee member and on several consultation panels including a veterans charity and the Hampshire Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Vicky’s goal is now to become a criminal court magistrate and she has recently undergone the selection process.
Vicky is now in a place that she thought she would never be achievable, feeling happy and content in her life and certain in the knowledge that transitioning and living open and honestly as the person she always was and facing, what was at times difficult therapy, has brought her to a place of peace and happiness she never thought possible.
One of her favourite quotes is by Maya Angelou: My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, compassion, some humour and style.
If there is anything in this conversation that resonates with you and you would like to get in touch with Vicky, she has asked for you to get in touch via me. So, please email me and I will then forward it onto her for you in the first instance.
My email is simon@simonmaryan.com