Born in Hertford, childhood in Welwyn Garden City, adult life in Devon, Cornwall, Brittany, London.
Well travelled in detail rather than broad brush.
A special interest in philosophy.
A tendency to stand up and be counted.
Cultural influences: Manx Celt story tellers ▪ Romanian gypsy ▪ Anglo Saxon aristocracy (the wrong side of the blanket) ▪ Norfolk soap box proletarians and conscientious objectors ▪ Tailors and Teachers
Passions: people, discovery, dance, music, poetry, fabric and design, mountains and forests
Work synopsis
After an interrupted reading of economics and politics at Lancaster University (birth of my first son), I worked from the late 70s in Health and Social care. A brief self directed course in business and household management prepared me to create and lead a residential and outreach community for a clientele with age related health and physical challenges.
The work: to facilitate empowerment and autonomous living.
The community expanded over 16 years to a client base of 80 and a staff of 40 people.
Our ethos was person centred. A range of humanistic therapies were introduced and freely available from the late 80s.
Mind gym
Tai ji, movement
Counselling
Drama and music
Art and story telling
Results:
reduced use of allopathic medication
tangible benefits to happiness, health, wellbeing
This led me to a personal study of the relationship between community, mind, body, self acceptance and vitality. In 1993 I began a deep exploration of the self involving:
meditative practice, tai ji and chi gung
study at Esalen Institute CA in the theatre of authenticity and gestalt
2 years embodied consciouness study with the Ridhwan School
person centred training at Metanoia Institute
understanding of bodily flow and physiology in Craniosacral Therapy
engaging in postive movement assisted by coaching dialogues
group facilitation for deepening knowledge, toward inclusivity and consensus . . .
and my own work of decompression, acceptance and beautification of inner experience.
In my work as leader and facilitator, I came to the certain knowledge that culture of organisations is strongly affected by the state of mind of those in leadership.
In 2000, after a 2 year exit strategy I moved to my present work with individuals and groups encouraging presence, personal and professional leadership, health, authenticity and joy.
Some learnings
In the now
being with people experiencing the memory loss and personality disintegration of alzheimer's disease, and with their families
Joy of work
the pleasure of doing any job to the best of one's ability
Accept the person, challenge the behaviour
towards myself, and others, and especially on becoming a parent, becoming an employer and a leader
Behaviour changes, behaviour does not define who we are
Self acceptance is a synthesis toward integrity
Self awareness
past, present, future? Is what I'm feeling really about what is happening now?
Leadership
Leadership happens at all levels of organisation, healthy organisations have all levels of leadership provided.
