My Journey
My journey begins in London, before transiting to the bustle of Mumbai for a short stay, returning back to the UK, and has now ended up in a parallel on the golden shores of Goa and the Wild Atlantic Way, on the western coast of the Republic of Ireland.
Many of my friends and family are envious that we are living in paradise, but they do not see the struggle I have had to get here.
They did not see the empty black void that I held inside myself for nearly 35 years - which no amount of superficial relationships or emotionally unstable behaviour could fill. They also did not experience the years of punishing myself, which I believed was the only way to know that I was alive, and that I was able to 'feel'.
Let me share my knowledge and lived experience to enhance the journey's of your own service users, who are looking to engage with, or are in therapy. I can provide a shared space for service users post therapy, or support for family and friends who are living with their loved ones and are experiencing the difficulties of their emotional instability, and challenging behaviours.
I am experienced in providing training to practitioners in the field, and can support your organisation by developing training materials or setting up services.
My collaborations include being a trustee and board member of The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities, Growing Better Lives CIC and Hank Nunn Institute. I am working closely with these organisations by delivering webinars and training, organising conferences and bringing a Lived Experience network together to enable peer support and mentoring. I also facilitate Mosaic - an academic therapeutic community, and GreenCloud International, being our cross-cultural Greencare entity.
My latest endeavour is working very closely with Tim Makower of Makower Architects, in their Homestead Project; I will be joining their newly formed trust board as a trustee and moving this exciting and innovative project forward, which will provide enabling residential therapeutic communities in all corners of the UK, and within.
I am also affiliated with the Royal College of Psychiatrists as an ‘eXpert by eXperience’ by leading reviews for the Community of Communities and Enabling Environments. I work closely with Training and Vocational Initiative (STARS), Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Community and Housing Therapy. More recently, I have become involved with the Compassionate Mental Health initiative and am working very closely with Bridgid Bowen to deliver and steer their future vision of compassionate, recovery-focused approaches to mental health.
My journey is full of triggers, trauma, and therapy, but I am finally in a place where I feel valued, loved, appreciated, and cared for. I am happy, I am content, and I no longer feel the need to harm myself or others with my destructive behaviours.
"If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you better teach it to dance."
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Irish playwright.