About Me

I have tended to live a life in service to others, beginning with a career in the armed services at the age of seventeen. More recently, following a decade long career as a midwife, my focus on mindfulness and compassion is inspired by my own journey of posttraumatic growth as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and life itself.

I was introduced to the concept of mindfulness through a workshop on depression hosted by Ruby Wax in 2016. This encounter provided a glimour of hope and proved pivotal in my recovery from depression and the psychological effects of childhood trauma. My recovery journey  continued with an eight week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) course at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre (OMC). 

   Overwhelmed with the simplicity and efficacy of mindfulness practice, yet concerned at the inherent risks as a survivor of childhood abuse, I grew to understand mindfulness as a double-edged sword. For myself, the benefits of engaging with mindfulness outweighed the risks. Unfortunately, that may not be the case for everyone, especially abuse survivors. 

Years on from my chance encounter with Ruby and mindfulness  I have completed an MSc in Mindfulness and Compassion, published a research article in the journal Mindfulness ...

 ... and now aim to take mindfulness research back to basics in order to support existing research and create new knowledge. This will be achieved through listening to the experts by experience - the survivors themselves - to understand the lived experience of mindfulness among adult survivors of CSA.