ABOUT ME
As I've said, my main interest is in being mindful in everyday life itself - which means going beyond formal practice. I like to be mindful when riding my bike, meeting and talking with friends and family, doing DIY, writing poems, making art and well.... generally just breathing, being aware and being alive in any real life situation! I find that understanding mindfulness as a way of everyday life is the key to alleviating many of life's struggles and sufferings. As you'll see below, I've had a pretty unusual background.
I have been a chartered occupational psychologist since 1989, and have over 30 years experience working in the NHS and internationally in the Corporate world. Prior to qualifying as a psychologist and working in organisational consultancy as a senior executive leadership coach, I worked in the NHS as a behavioural psychotherapist from 1976~81 and again from 2002~12. In 2012 I retired from the NHS as a senior CBT psychotherapist within the IAPT team in primary care Portsmouth and had a private practice in Petersfield from 2002 until 2018. I'm often asked and to be honest I am tempted to go back, but I have now retired from therapeutic ways of working to concentrate on being mindful in everyday life and whenever the opportunity presents itself, helping others to do the same.
I completed advanced courses in Teaching Mindfulness through the University of Wales Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, Bangor from 2002~2005 and I have attended many Retreats through Gaia House, Sharpham College, Bangor, The Krishnamurti Centre and others. Reading widely and going deeply into the original Buddhist teachings has helped a great deal in my understandings ~ although I have not become a Buddhist and I don't follow any religious beliefs. I do believe in being mindful/compassionate/kind but as I've explained I don't meditate formally as such any more.
Exploring the value of mindfulness since 2002, I have taught mindfulness in many situations including to:- senior executives, prisoners, teachers at an infants school, university students, patients and carers at a hospice, patients at a pain clinic, families, and in private practice many individuals. Until recently (from 2012~2020) I provided a local monthly meeting mindfulness support group, and I supported and encouraged individuals in their interest in being mindful by running tailored and flexible public library courses ~ all curtailed by the Covid pandemic! This website with its free resources, plus continuing to meet up with mindful friends individually is a saving grace.
Previous Academic and Professional Qualifications/Education:-
BA(Hons) Psychology (Portsmouth University 1984), MSc Organisational Psychology (Manchester UMIST 1985),
C. Psychol, Cert. Behav. Psych, Member of the BPS Register for Chartered Psychologists Specialising in Psychotherapy, BABCP Accredited and Registered Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, HPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist, Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Certificate in Further Education Teaching, Highbury College 1979, Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy, Graylingwell Hospital Chichester 1976~77, Psychiatric Nursing qualification, RMN St. James’ Hospital 1973~75.