ABOUT
A little more about me
Dr Paul Gilbert, psychologist, author and founder of Compassion Focused Therapy, is fond of explaining that “we all just find ourselves here, caught in the flow of life…”
This is how I found myself here….
My Story
Life doesn't always follow the path we imagine for ourselves.
We think we are riding the waves, then we find ourselves drowning. If we are lucky, we find ways to weather the storms and emerge, battered and bruised, but wiser and stronger. In the dark times, counselling and yoga helped me find my way through the storms.
I found my way to yoga when I was recovering from a period of ill health. Recommended by my clinician, I joined a class and yoga soon became an important part of my life. Yoga enabled me to reconnect with myself and became a constant source of release and respite from the stresses of my busy world.
Later came a period where I struggled with my mental health and wellbeing, followed by life changing loss and grief. Luckily, I discovered counselling and although it didn’t take all the hard, painful stuff away, it had a profound effect on my life. I discovered insights and clarity, compassion and understanding, and ways of thinking that changed how I perceived myself and the world.
I always say that yoga changed my life, and counselling saved my life.
All of those experiences, the challenges, the heartaches, the joys, have shaped how I work today. I know that sometimes we need to talk, to be heard with empathy and compassion. Sometimes we need to move, to rediscover the holistic connection of our mind, body and breath. Sometimes don’t know what we need, we simply want some support to help us find our way.
That's what I want Heartsease to offer.
But that’s enough about me. Let’s talk about you…
Why Heartsease?
Heartsease is about heart + ease.
Heartsease is another name for the wild pansy — a little flower associated with thoughtfulness, remembrance, compassion and affection.
The name felt right because those qualities are at the heart of how I want to work.
I don't believe we need to have everything figured out, or that life is about feeling happy and calm all of the time.
Heartsease is a place to pause, explore what matters to you and perhaps find a little more ease along the way.
You don't have to arrive knowing exactly what you need.
