I have been teaching the general public in Brighton since 2009 and specialise in working with people with anxiety. I have experience of working with a wide range of people, from counsellors and coaches attending for professional development to people with terminal cancer and other chronic health conditions. I also work within education teaching courses for teachers in schools, am part of the MYRIAD trial run by Oxford Mindfulness Centre and taught for a research trial at Sussex University. I have also worked in the charity and business sectors, delivering online mindfulness for a variety of different workplaces in different formats.
I have embraced working on Zoom and am able to offer guidance on how to make this work for your teaching. I contributed to a book chapter on this topic which is currently being prepared for publication.
I have had a meditation practice since 1997. A key component of my personal practice is enquiry, and I am particularly interested in the ways in which enquiry can lead to clarity and understanding. As such the enquiry process plays a central role in my work in the MBSR/MBCT classroom, and my work as a supervisor. I am particularly interested in exploring how teachers engage in enquiry while teaching, and unpicking how the process works.
My MSc thesis focused on the role of home practice in mindfulness based approaches. I am particularly interested in the crucial role that personal exploration plays in MBA’s, and in exploring ways to support course participants in developing a sustainable home practice. In collaboration with Prof Christine Parsons, it was published in 2020 https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-020-00453-x/metrics
I have a keen interest in the Buddhist foundations of MBA’s, and in exploring the differences and overlaps with secular mindfulness.
Qualifications
- Trained Teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion (2019)
- CMRP Training in mentoring new teachers (2017)
- CMRP Supervision training (2015)
- MSc thesis under Prof. Willem Kuyken at Exeter University (2014) ‘What factors help people to establish and maintain a home practice?’
- CMRP Foundation, Teaching 1 & 2 and Assessed Teaching Practice leading to Certificate of Competence to Teach Mindfulness-based Courses (2008-2012)
- Introduction to Counselling Skills (2008)
- BA Philosophy (UCL, 1995)
Teaching-Training Specialisms
- Mentoring new teachers.
- Working with the general public as an independent mindfulness teacher.
- Adapting the eight-week course for working 1-1.
- Helping participants to establish a home practice.
- The enquiry process.
Supervision Experience
I have been supervising on the Exeter University post-graduate training programme and privately since 2014.
I run a thriving peer supervision group on Zoom.
Supervision Specialisms
I am particularly interested in working with new teachers and the enquiry process. Home practice is also a major interest in teaching and supervision.
I have considerable experience in setting up and running a business as a mindfulness teacher and can offer support in marketing, giving design briefs for advertising, mailing lists, tasters and efficient organisational processes.
Personal Practice
I have had a committed meditation practice since 1997 when I as 24, though my interest in meditation began as a teenager. I began with SN Goenka’s 10 day Vipassana courses in India, before moving to the western Insight Meditation tradition in 1999. I spent 7 years travelling in Asia, meditating, studying and practicing yoga and doing as many retreats as I could, which gave me a solid foundation for my practice. In 2004 I moved to Brighton, and am an active member of the meditation community. I am a founding member and trustee of Bodhi Tree Brighton Buddhist charity (www.bodhitreebrighton.org.uk) and run a weekly Open Meditation group as part of Bodhi Tree as well as doing the publicity.
I have also drawn great inspiration from the secular mindfulness approach, particularly its emphasis on gentleness.
I have a regular sitting and yoga practice and find my allotment a great source of spiritual inspiration where I enjoy observing nature.
I continue to attend retreats at Gaia House regularly, and spend time at Cittaviveka Forest Monastery on semi-retreat in a mindful community.
I have completed the Community Dharma Leader programme at Gaia House and regularly run the Gaia House Online Dharma Hall.
Further Information
For several years, I mentored on Christopher Titmuss’ Mindfulness Training Course, an online programme of mindfulness practices and investigation into our lives.
I also love allotment gardening and find many opportunities there to practice patience, letting go, non-striving and careful cultivation. I have offered a Mindful Gardening course on my allotment site in Brighton.
