I have a strong interest in Embodied Work. I did a course in Somatic Awareness, consisting of eight training weekends, which was facilitated by two licensed Somatic Experiencing practitioners who are also Psychosynthesis psychotherapists. Somatic Experiencing was developed by trauma therapist Peter A. Levine. I have a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychosynthesis Psychology and a Diploma in Counselling.

Psychosynthesis is a psychology that was developed by Italian Psychiatrist Roberto Assagioli throughout the 20th century. He therefore included all of the developments in other psychologies. The foundation of his theory was of a spiritual nature. This set him apart from Freud – who was his contemporary, as well as Jung and Maslow with whom he aligned more – in the very early days of psychoanalysis, in which Psychosynthesis is rooted nevertheless.

The spiritual aspect of Psychosynthesis is that our spiritual Self is recognised and seen as a real phenomenon. In therapy the Self is reflected in the struggles of the personality. Deep within we know what it is that we need. But the distractions of life can at times obstruct us to make the most of our life and take care of these fundamental needs.

After my Postgraduate training I trained in psychotherapy up to Masters level. The title of my dissertation: Hope & Grief: a Psychosynthesis Exploration.

Before my career in Counselling and Therapy I worked in various fields. I had my own Ceramics business in New Zealand, where I lived for 22 years. There I also worked in libraries, both frontline and in Business Planning and Support as a Facilities Coordinator for Auckland Libraries. Prior to that I worked in the building industry when I first moved there, in the early 90s, after graduating as a Structural Engineer in Amsterdam where I worked in the restoration of Canal Houses as part of my degree.