ABOUT ME

I have been in the personal and professional development field for over 40 years. I have a background in social services, university teaching and research in the social sciences, and in psychotherapy.

I began coaching in both the public and private sectors in1991 while still practicing as a psychotherapist. As coaching training became available in the UK I did the Co-Active Intermediate course and successfully completed the training programme for coaches run by Insights Learning and Development. I recently completed the HeartMath One-to-One Provider Programme, and am now licensed to coach with a range of their programmes.

I worked with Edna Murdoch and Miriam Orriss to establish the Coaching Supervision Academy in 2004. We designed our Full Spectrum Model of Coaching Supervision, and then set up our first coaching supervision course that ran in 2006. I was Senior Tutor and Director of Academic Resources, and contributed to the training material.

I left CSA in 2008 in order to develop my Transpersonal Coaching and Transformational Supervision practice and ideas. In addition to my coaching and supervision business, I am currently
• writing papers and a book on Supervision,
• helping to develop a new approach to Recovery and Well-being for people with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia
• co-authoring a series of books on the ME/CFS Recovery Programme for patients and practitioners: See our web site at www.wellwise4me.com

An important part of my personal development has been learning to sculpt with clay. Amongst the many other things I love are being a member of a regular Dream Group and Book Group, and walking in the countryside with my partner of over 35 years.

I have been questioning, searching and learning for as long as I can remember. I have built up a wealth of knowledge and experience and love helping others to develop to be the best they can be.

PRESENCE AND MINDFULNESS IN MY WORK

There have been many influences on my approach to my work. I have been surprised to find that my hobby as a sculptor, in particular, has helped me to develop my capacity to be present, in the moment, with no desire to be anywhere else, and no concerns about the past or the future.

How did this come about? I learned while sculpting portraits that I could look at the model but at first not actually see what was there. I had an internal image of what heads and faces look like. I learned that I needed to take in the whole gestalt of the person and gradually build up the portrait from what I could actually see in front of me, and leaving the fine details of the features to develop once the shape of the head was in place.

Sculpting has helped me to be able to stay truly present and attend to clients without getting in my own way; to see who is there, to notice when I am clouding my vision with imaginings and projections, and to be kind to myself when I find myself slipping away into wondering what to say next.

One of the therapy trainings I did was in Gestalt and there I learned the value of exploring and experimenting in the here and now of the relationship. I learned to stay with the interruptions in the contact with clients and be supportively curious, to explore the process, follow the shifts in energy.

I also trained in Transpersonal Psychotherapy which added a depth dimension to my work. I learned many ways to help people access their own inner wisdom and I developed a strong and resilient place within me that sustains me on the journey of my soul. I see myself as accompanying others on their soul's journey.