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Jonathan Ganesh, who was badly injured in the IRA bomb attack on London’s Docklands, was inspired to set up a new counselling service to support other victims of terrorism by a close friend who, unable to cope with the impact of the 1996 attack, took her own life.

Mr Ganesh decided to train and become a psychotherapist following the distressing suicide of his close friend Gemma Berezag in 2016.

Mrs Berezag had been caring for husband Zaoui who was left severely disabled due to the Docklands IRA attack.

Mr Ganesh said: "Gemma was pleading for help, then she took her own life. It broke my heart, I’d known her for 25 years.”

Having become an accredited counsellor Mr Ganesh wants to help people like Gemma, including those in Northern Ireland struggling to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.

Mr Ganesh, who developed severe PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) as a consequence of Docklands bomb attack on February 9, 1996 which also claimed the lives of his friends Inam Bashir and John Jeffries, said: "Because I’ve experienced it myself, I’ve been through that terrible dark tunnel and I’ve come out the other end, it gives me a slight insight.

“When you go through a terrorist incident you want to help. I’ve seen the terrible impact of terrorism on people’s lives. It’s the legacy afterwards.”

In 2018 Mr Ganesh, working with other mental health professionals, independently researched and commissioned a pioneering report concerning mental health of those impacted by acts of terrorism during the Troubles originating from Northern Ireland.

His report discovered that a vast number of those suffering the effects of PTSD and other mental health conditions had attempted or had taken their own lives.

He said: “I’ve got a connection with Northern Ireland over two decades. I’ve got an affliation, a love for the people of Northern Ireland.

"I know there are lots of support groups in Northern Ireland, but some of them only allow you to have five sessions.

"If you’re combating PTSD or severe mental health conditions you will need more than that.”

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Commenting on the recent pro-IRA chants by the Republic of Ireland women’s football team and by people in Dublin Airport, Mr Ganesh said: “I certainly don’t think they’d be singing that if they’d had those experiences themselves.

"It brings a terrible, terrible trauma back to the person.”

He added: "Some of it is down to ignorance, some of it is deliberate. It’s best to say that all terrorism is wrong rather than try to justify it in some way.”

Docklands Counselling, which has been formed by Mr Ganesh in partnership with other experienced counsellors, aims to revolutionise the counselling industry by implementing pioneering treatments and also making therapy more accessible.

Mr Ganesh described providing face to face counselling in therapeutic counselling rooms as well as utilising online technology to ensure counselling can be made available from any location.

“In addition we will provide concessive fees to those that are receiving unemployment and disability benefit,” he added.

For more information visit www.docklandscounselling.co.uk

Victim of IRA Docklands bomb Jonathan Ganesh to help others who have been impacted by terrorism through counselling service