Having qualified in 1993 I went on to specialise in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. I soon began to notice patterns in patients -why do so many people have back pain and IBS? Why so many with thyroid issues and neck / shoulder pain.? Why so many internal autoimmune conditions or chronic inflammatory conditions alongside musculoskeletal pain conditions?
My journey has taken me into studying many disciplines including Chinese medicine and acupuncture, energy medicine and Ayurvedic concepts, craniosacral therapy amongst others.
I suffered with gout from my late 20s and then in 2005 I developed an autoimmune condition called pericarditis. I had 2 inches of swelling around my heart crushing the heart and causing agonising pain and lethargy. After many episodes it resulted in collapse and emergency cardiac unit care and a near death experience. I spent between 8 and 10 years healing myself - living proof that what I now specialise in does work. Physician heal thyself! I could not get off the steroid medication without relapse until I did that work.
Martial arts, zen study, mindfulness and meditation, healing childhood trauma, further study and training in body psychotherapy, somatic experiencing, TRE study ( trauma release exercises) , nervous system trauma work, along with a whole list of other disciplines has now meant that my own past chronic pain and illness has proved the best teacher I have ever had. I am now pain free and rid of the of recurrent swelling around my heart and the gout and have been for many years now.
Now I specialise in helping others with complex issues in their health, chronic pain, chronic fatigue and ME, long covid, FND, Tourette’s, people struggling with pain which will not go away with other approaches. Mood disorders, anxiety, PPPD, depression which has not been helped with pure psychotherapy alone is another group of people I help - if we don’t address the emotional regulation and felt sense in the body we may not resolve the mental health issues.
A Mind-Body approach and trauma informed holistic approach to my patients has revolutionised my work and the lives of many patients I could previously not have helped. I learned this the hard way when this work was being discovered so now I can help people in much shorter timeframes. I feel truly humbled working in this field and so proud of people who find the courage to take the first step to changing their whole lives forever.