I have listed my qualifications below as it can be useful to understand someone's background and training. However, I believe being a practitioner is more than our credentials - it's the essence of a person: their presence, lived experience, and the quality of relationship they cultivate. I seek to bring integrity, acceptance, groundedness, authenticity, and a celebration of the beautiful messiness of being human. I have been on my own personal journey with healing and recovery, and have an appreciation of the painful and isolating depths one can traverse. I bring all this lived experience to my work as an ecotherapist, and believe it enriches me as a practitioner.

I have completed three years training in Applied Ecopsychology with Natural Academy and I am an accredited ecotherapy and eco-depth practitioner. I am also an accredited NatureWell practitioner: an evidence-based nature connection programme for health and wellbeing. I am also a member of the Nature and Health Practice Network, a UK body for nature based practitioners, and I follow their practice guidelines.

Qualifications:

• Level 4 - Advanced Pathway Applied Ecopsychology and Nature-Based Practice (2 years advance practice training - Natural Academy, Bristol)
• Level 3 - Ecopsychology and Nature Connection Facilitator (1 year foundation training - Natural Academy, Bristol)
• Accredited NatureWell practitioner (Natural Academy, Bristol)
• In addition I also hold a Level 3 Foundation in Counselling (Heartwood Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Devon)

I am registered with the HCPC as an occupational therapist (OT), and have 18 years' experience of working with adults as an OT, predominately within the NHS. I have worked with diverse groups of people including those who have long-term complex health conditions, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, neurological conditions including stroke and brain injury, mental health difficulties, older adults and individuals living with dementia. Prior to working as an occupational therapist I was a mental health support worker for four years. 

I am currently insured to work as an ecotherapist and I am DBS checked. I have professional supervision, peer supervision as well as personal therapy to ensure my practice is safe and up to date. I have an up-to-date outdoor first aid qualification. I have also completed training as a shamanic practitioner, Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) training, and Reiki levels 1 & 2. I am a member of OBOD (Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids), and although earth-based spirituality and animism infuse my work I am led by your individual spiritual beliefs. 

My pronouns are she/her.

In addition to the above experience and qualifications I am committed to my ongoing personal and professional development and have completed the following courses/workshops:

October 2024-February 2025 - Journey through the feminine archetypes, Agata Krajewska, Theatre of Awakening

October 2023 - March 2024 - Soul Pilgrimage - a monthly Soul Craft nature-based group co-led by guides - Rebecca Card (Nature Wisdom) and Claire Milne (Starter Culture)

October 2023 BFA accredited Level 1 Introduction to Focusing, Paula Charnley

July 2023 Eco-somatics, summer workshop, Carla Walmsley-Esteves, Tariki Trust

March 2023 Pesso Boyden Residential Experiential Workshop, Juliet Grayson, NCIP accredited course

March 2023 Working with sounds and silience in ecotherapy, Tariki Trust

21st-25th July 2022 - The way of council and the art of mirroing, Animus Valley Institute and Nature Wisdom

June 2022 Leading accessible sensory nature walks, Sense

April-June 2022 Eco-somatics, Carla Walmsley-Esteves, Tariki Trust

March 2022 Mapping relationships using natural objects, Tariki Trust

March 2022 Eco-somatics, spring workshop, Carla Walmsley-Esteves, Tariki Trust

November 2021 - Writing from earth's landscapes, Tariki Trust 

October 2021 - February 2022 - Elemental Eros (spiral one), Dancing Serpent Mystery School

February 2021 - Introduction to Soul Craft, Animus Valley Institute and Embercombe