‘It is not only a wild nature that we need as human beings; it is the untamed open space of our imaginations.’ J. Winterson

A Little about me…

I have always known how to dream well and play with full commitment, my imagination and heart being a creative, instinctive animal with its own internal navigation system.  I remember dreams of a life full of crayons, finger paints and skipping. An endless excitement inside of me whenever I found a blank piece of paper and paints or an open dance floor. I look back now and see how I was driven by a need for freedom and expression, and how I still am.

I found great enjoyment in the messiness of creating. Finding a flow of movements with my body, playing the piano, making a mark on paper or entering into a place of imagination. I loved to dream and I felt inspired by the freedom that it gave me.

As I grew, my focus of inspiration shifted as did my dreaming, I became inspired by the people in the world with shiny eyes and singing hearts. The resourceful humans that managed to find a way to embrace and embody the magic of curiosity, wildness and adventure. The dear humans with deep kindness that could be seen in their eyes and felt in their presence. The ones with the softness of butterfly, and the roar of lion.

I went looking for these humans. I spent time moving around, befriending the land and taking in approaches to the world that surrounded me in the different places that I lived. I slept in houses, camper vans, on sofas, floors, in garages, cars, hostels and tents. I built connections with adventurous, kind, shiny eyed humans, fell in love with nature more deeply and began to get a clearer vision of the similarities and connectivity that bring us together without compromising our authenticity in the process.

I look back on this time now as one of expansion and learning while also recognising that this transition was a painful one. I had said goodbye to roots that had previously started to mature, the newness and constant change created parts of me to feel fear and uncertainty. What was born from that fear and uncertainty, was an ever evolving relationship with trusting the unknown. What I didn’t know then that I do know now, is that by accessing that deep trust in the mysterious unfolding nature of life, I was beginning to meet the very foundations of my future therapeutic practice and rekindling the fires of my adventurous spirit.

It was around this time that I knew that I wanted to find a way to be with other human beings in their unknown moments, offering space for a larger reunion to happen between human and freedom, adventure and wildness. Between mind, heart, body and spirit. I remember feeling curious about where this dream would take me.

Eventually this dreaming brought me back to Bristol after being accepted onto a counselling training. Once I completed my counselling training and placement, I began my search for what felt like it had been missing from my studies of integrative counselling. This was and continues to be found through my purposeful searching of specific courses. It was and is also found through the mysterious unfolding nature of my own life, which continues to this day. One of my greatest teachers in this life is life itself.

A little more about my therapeutic training and process so far…

I came across the work of Nick Totton and felt excited by his embodied relational approach. I went along to an embodied relational weekend workshop, I felt the freedom and space that attending to the whole of ourselves can offer.

I then went on to complete 2 intensive body mapping weekends facilitated by Dance Movement Psychotherapist Annette Schwalbe, and felt deeply moved and inspired by this powerful yet gentle process. I went on to complete a year-long mentorship programme with Annette alongside an intimate circle of fellow body mapping enthusiasts. The movement, meditation and creative process of Body Mapping sparked my curiosity further into the world of embodiment and dance.

From there I came across the work of Tim Brown from the Brighton School of Embodied Therapy. Over a 4-month period I completed a Body listening training that developed and deepened my own sense of embodiment and heart led relationship, tuning into the bodies channels of communication and witnessing the healing power of body processing.

Feeling hungry for more of what I had found in this space, I went on to complete the Dance of awareness training with Tim Brown and Clare Osbond. Dance of Awareness™ (DoA) has five main streams of influence: Neo-Reichian body-centred psychotherapy; Five Rhythms dance; Authentic Movement; Dance Movement Psychotherapy; and the experiential exploration of awareness itself. The union of therapy and dance was such a healing combination for me. I completed the training feeling energised and committed to my own movement practice, understanding that dance and creative flow are doorways into other states of being. I continue to feel passionate about returning to the power of dance, song and expression beyond words. 

At this point, my focus turned towards the magical healing power of nature and the history of healing practices. As a part of my own personal development and call towards heart led practice, I completed my first year of a shamanic apprenticeship programme with Carol Day in Scotlands welcoming landscape. A process rooted in nature-based practices, witnessing, core shamanism and creativity. This deepened my connection to Earth, heart, soul, song and our instinctive animal body.

Alongside the workshops I attended in Scotland with Carol I began a year-long training in Integrative Embodied Psychotherapy which included the transpersonal and imaginal realms. This was a time of weaving together Embodied practices with core Shamanism, experiencing the integration between grounding in the body and expansiveness of the soul. 

Integrative Embodied Psychotherapy is a therapeutic framework developed by Katarina Gadjanski and Tasha Colbert. This integrative approach draws on a range of techniques from the practices of body-oriented psychotherapy, dance movement psychotherapy, somatic experiencing, somatic trauma therapy, neuroscience, transpersonal psychotherapy, creative arts and somatic mindfulness.

With an ongoing interest in embodied ways of working/being I turned my attention towards specific Trauma focused training, this happened organically after working directly with body and movement. I could see how working in a bottom-up way with dual awareness, facilitated a healing place for processing trauma. I felt inspired by Peter Levine’s work in Somatic Experiencing and the work of Richard Schwartz’s internal family systems (IFS) attending introductory workshops in both. I then searched out as many resources I could find while attending to my own process through the shapes and maps offered from IFS and SE practices. Through my reading I became curious about the process of EMDR and completed the training, I found this to be a powerful process and it can be weaved into the embodied work that I already felt so passionate about. I have continued to deepen my learning with Somatic Parts work inspired by IFS.

I am writing this in the Autumnal days of 2023 I have started a MSc in Consciousness, Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology, along with focusing on voice work and continuing to deepen into my Shamanic practitioner apprenticeship. I feel deeply grateful to my teacher Roel Crabbe, who shares heartfelt wisdoms and soulful healing songs through ceremony and Carol Day, storyteller, Artist, beater of drum and holder of circles.

I am an eternal student and will continue to follow the paths that speak to my heart and spark my curiosity, weaving what I gather together from my learning and experiences into my being and my work. As  a teacher of mine often shares ‘ we are all students of the heart and the heart has an endless wisdom and medicine’.

Throughout all of my training, there has continued to be a calling towards working with people in a grounded, aware and embodied way. Held and nurtured through meaningful and loving relationship and giving space to all dimensions of the human experience. I will meet you with a warm heart and see you with open eyes.

All spaces I hold are inclusive, compassionate and wholeheartedly welcome all. I believe in us dear humans and our capacity to find love and tenderness in the most challenging of moments.