How my life experience makes me a better holistic practitioner and soul doula

In this week’s newsletter, I wrote about how much of my life experience I bring to my work as a space holder, Reiki teacher and holistic practitioner. Yet, when I list my qualifications, all that life experience is not something that I can easily use or explain. 

Clients often ask me how I got into this work in the first place, and it’s a tough question to answer, but here’s a bit of my how…

When I was at school and people started thinking about what they were going to be when they grew up, I wanted to either be a writer or a psychologist/psychotherapist. My dad had experienced mental health struggles since he and my mum broke up when I was about 9, and I desperately wanted to help people like him (trauma response anyone!? 🤣). 

When I left school, I started to study English, Psychology and Sociology at A level, but I also left home and moved in with my boyfriend. I was using drugs, drinking too much and by January, I’d had what I now know was a full blown breakdown. I was angry, violent, abusive and severely distressed - how could I ever help people when I was so messed up myself!? I dropped out of college.

Somehow, I clawed it back and after trying to complete my A levels for the next four years, I finally scraped through with English and Film Studies. On to university where I studied Film and Literature while working full time, commuting over 35 miles to lectures, all with the same drug addiction, and some major health issues to boot. 

Miraculously, I ended up with a good job in TV and fulfilled my ambition to be a writer (although tbh, I was imagining being a novelist or journalist of some sort, not a soap storyliner). It was my dream job for a long time.

In 2012, my mum died and many of the things I thought I knew about myself were reframed, broken down and rebuilt. I was catapulted onto my healing journey which had all kinds of life changing consequences. 

As I became a lot more self aware and healed a lot of my issues. I realised how much of my identity was tied into my job and how that wasn’t who I was. I started to become dissatisfied, but didn’t really know what else to do. 

A couple of years later, when I’d started learning about more spiritual things, I woke up one morning thinking I should learn Reiki - I was convinced it would be beneficial for my then partner and her daughters. I didn't really know much about it and when that relationship broke down and I sought something nice to do for myself, to help me climb back out of being at rock bottom, I embarked on my first Reiki training. 

It was never meant to turn into anything, but I kept waking up having been nudged in my dreams to take the next step on my Reiki training. And here I am today, teaching Reiki to others and supporting people as they navigate the things they’re going through. 

Reiki was the first step, and since then, I’ve been guided in so many different ways - all of which make up the work I do. I may not be a traditionally trained psychologist/psychotherapist but I’ve ended up helping people (and myself) just the same!

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My life story is multilayered and obviously there’s much more to it than what I’ve detailed here, but every part of it makes me brilliant at what I do - meeting you where you’re at, with non-judgement, love and understanding. 

It’s not an easy thing to put into words but I know for a fact that all my clients feel it. 

If you’re seeking support for one of life’s many transitions - loss, discovery, moving on - you know where to find me.