I've been working as a body psychotherapist for the past 22 years and as a trainer and supervisor for the past 14. I originally trained with Nick Totton in Embodied-Relational Therapy; in a self directed training. I subsequently trained in supervision with the The Centre for Supervision Training and Development (CSTD) Contemporary UK relational psychotherapists have deeply influenced my work.  Roz Carroll, Shoshi Asheri and especially Michael Soth - who I was in supervision and cpd groups with for six years.

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I am a member of the Embodied-Relational Training team and have worked extensively with Nick Totton. My professional body's are the European Association for Body Psychotherapy https://eabp.org/ and the UK Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners https://ahpp.org.uk/.

 

I'm particularly interested in the meeting place between relational, embodied and wild ways of working. Supporting practitioners to utilise and develop their therapeutic capacities; especially to integrate intuitive and dream like experiences with clinical understanding. I'm curious how play, creativity, movement and the wild can resource practitioners in their work.

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I feel privileged to still deeply enjoy my work. All aspects, - working with clients, supervises and trainees. I notice myself being more able to relax, to soften into being present with whoever and whatever is emerging in myself, others and the world. Finding play as a resource. Playing with words, movement, images. Play can support a lightness and experimentation and spontaneity.

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My work is supported by my love of walking, swimming, dancing, cycling. Of being outside in the alive, sentient universe. For the past fifteen years I have been gardening a steep piece of land with my partner. Delighting in, and growing with, the complexity and exuberance of the flowers, fruits, insects, trees, blackbirds and vegetables who live in and visit this place. 

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For the past three years, I have been on a deep journey into exploring issues of social justice/injustice and how it impacts my work as a psychotherapist, supervisor, and trainer. 

 

This feels like a long journey. Partly because I’m starting from a position of relative privilege and therefore, I’m more unconscious about the issues involved. Also, because the counselling and psychotherapy world itself is on a long journey of learning and un-learning around these issues.

 

Important aspects of my journey have been: -

 

• Grappling with my own experiences of privilege and marginalisation.

• Attending online, diversity and inclusion trainings. I’ve recently valued completing the Certificate in Diversity in Contemporary Relationships. Supporting practitioners to work with Sex, Gender and Relationship diversity.

• Greatly appreciating books by authors from marginalised communities.

• Meeting with Phil Bragman the Embodied-Relational Therapy diversity consultant, monthly for the past three years.

• Offering Embodied Marginalisation Power and Privilege workshops. Starting to integrate the teaching of EMPP into the Embodied-Relational Therapy training.

 

All this work is ongoing, and is still evolving. I’m enjoying the challenges, and hopefully aware of my limitations and the inevitable misjudgements. 

 

Some of the teachers who have influenced my thinking and who are holding a vision of a useful way forward are: - Eugene Ellis, Rae Johnson, Resmaa Menakem, Nick Walker, Eli Clare, Dr Dwight Turner, Nick Totton, Christine Caldwell, Lucy Bennett Leighton, Travis Albanza, Alex Lantaffi, and Meg-John Barker. 

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