My Story

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After University I had a longing to travel and see the world which led me to live in all kinds of interesting places, doing all kinds of wonderful things.   I always had the desire to serve and this eventually led me back home, working for the NHS in varied roles across mental health services.  I loved seeing the impact my work had on people’s lives and I have so many happy memories from these years.  Over time however, the stresses of the work led me to a point where I had nothing left to give and left me physically and emotionally drained.    I wanted more from life and I knew something needed to change.  

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Not sure where to turn or what my next steps should be, I sought therapy.  Although I didn’t realise it at the time, what I actually would have benefited from was a coach.   I was seeking more fulfilment through personal growth.  I needed to uncover a way to find my own answers, which would support me towards my path of transformational change.  

 

But it wasn’t the right time, there was still more to learn.  Instead, I found myself enticed by a glamorous, high-flying role in the City.  Rather than looking inward for the answers, I’d grasped at a job I thought was going to be the answer to everything.  For the first couple of years I was living a life at the envy of everyone around me, flying around the world, living an expenses-fuelled London existence.  Sometimes I pinched myself.

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But all of this eventually came at a cost. The rest of my life began to suffer, my relationships and my health.   Beyond the façade of my glamorous life, I found myself in a challenging environment - an outdated, masculine-expressed culture, so out of alignment with my own values, that I felt stifled and contained.  It was a poisonous mix.

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My travel and work schedule had become chaotic.  I had forgotten how to attend to my own needs and my body had responded to my lack of self-care and was giving me all the signs something was deeply wrong.  On my final business trip to Hong Kong, a truth emerged that I had not been facing - my life was no longer sustainable and something needed to change.  I quietly took a step back and realised I was living a life determined by other people’s priorities and vision.  Slowly, I started to get honest with myself. 

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A difficult period followed, which eventually saw me leave that life behind.  I had become so involved with who I had become, that at times I felt scared and alone.  Deep down I knew I had the opportunity to create a new life and I started to follow my curiosity.  I started writing a new story.

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I followed an intuitive call to India. I did what any self-respecting city girl in a crisis would do and went to live in an Ashram for a month.  It gave me the space and time I needed to reconnect with my body and process what I’d been through.  I found a renewed sense of peace and freedom, and importantly, the people I met there reignited my trust and curiosity in humans again. 

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My Growth and Transformation

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Looking back, I can see that I needed to experience all these shades of life to appreciate getting back to a life I chose authentically.    I don’t believe it is necessary to go to an exotic land or move away from your path so drastically in order to do that.  The answers were always there - my authentic self was never too far away to remind me how far I’d stepped away from my values and when I didn’t listen, my body always told me.  Living a fast-paced life for many years gave me first hand insight into how negative stress impacted me and showed me the importance of looking after my body and mind by attending to my self-care.  

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When it was the right time, I listened.  I found space. I attuned to myself.  I sat with my emotions and did the work. I learnt a lot of valuable lessons – some uncomfortable, difficult lessons - which fuelled my path towards self acceptance and personal growth.  I stopped waiting for opportunity and approval.  I took the power back and consciously started creating the life I wanted. 

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Why I Love What I Do

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I picked up my first Psychology book in my teens and I’ve been exploring ever since, from studying at University to working in mental health services, and all the life in-between.  I’ve always been fascinated by other people and the big questions in life. 

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I love people and I've been fortunate to work closely with humans from all over the world, from all walks of life.  What I’ve noticed is that we are united in our search for a meaningful life.  The desire to speak our truths, even when we feel we cannot.

 

My story is all too common with the challenges and stress of modern day life.  The competing priorities on our time, whether they be work, child care, relationships or anything else.  One thing my own journey has shown me is that whatever situation we find ourselves in, there is always the possibility to keep growing and create more purpose.  To work towards living with more balance, well-being, joy and fulfilment  Showing up in this way is not easy and it takes work. 

Somehow you know when it is the right time to get back to being you.

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What's your story?