About Me

My professional work is about offering the tools and practices that have helped and supported me in my own personal growth and healing.  Talking therapy, meditation, movement and song, as well as writing and creating artwork, have all been vital for me to find a sense of self and sanity, to get clear about who I am, how I am, and to find ways to live out my purpose in this life.

 

Growing up as a Quaker I developed a strong belief that all of us are unique beings of equal worth with gifts that are worth sharing. For me, conscious embodied dance has been the most effective path for finding and affirming my own gifts. Moving with a meditative focus on the physical sensations in the body brings me into a much deeper connection with myself and the world around me.

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I find harmony singing incredibly uplifting and the practice of joining our voices together while following our own part is a great experiential metaphor for life and co-existence. It is a way of finding pleasure in my own creative abilities in a shared context and while there is no ‘therapeutic agenda’ it can be powerfully healing.

 

In one-to-one and group therapy I have learned to articulate my inner experience, and I find the process of talking with a non-judgemental, skilled witness to be particularly revealing of my core beliefs and attitudes and has allowed me to develop a strong sense of compassion for myself and others. In group contexts, I have identified some of the unconscious assumptions I have in my relationships with others and have been able to change these with loving support from my peers.

 

Solitary practices, such as free writing, meditation and art-work, have a calming effect on my mind and give me a space to notice and express my emotional experience in ways that help me reflect on where I want to take my next steps. They also allow me, at times, to share my creativity with a wider audience.

 

I have trained to teach all of these because I want to share the practices that have supported me through many challenging life events, including childhood trauma, loss, sexual abuse, bereavement, depression and addiction. I seek to create a safe, permissive space where people can freely explore their inner world and their connections to all life. I bring qualities of presence, compassion and a good measure of humour to my work.

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