A former artist, who lost the use of my hands (and entire body) in 2015 due to a spinal cord injury. I devoted the next several years to neurological recovery, a hard and gruelling process that involved pushing my body and mind to its limits repeatedly in order to rebuild lost neurological connections and regain movement. I used goals to help me do this, it began with being able to eat a meal with cutlery again and kept going until I was training to be a mountain leader and beyond. 

I learnt a lot about myself along the way; how far I could push myself. I entered this endless pursuit of the next goal, similar to many people in life (except all mine were physical and linked to my recovery), whilst this served me well in terms of physical progression. It left me mentally lost, confused, struggling to see where I fit in the world, striving to achieve what others deemed as 'normal function', whilst ignoring my own suffering. I spent a lot of time ignoring the significance of feeling lost and disconnected; the impact it was having on me and my interactions with the world. Until I got to the point I was struggling to function, (not just physically but mentally too). I began asking people for help, which in itself took a lot of courage. But as help and suggestions filtered in, I soon came to realise that what I needed were tools that would allow me to help myself. I didn't need more external validation, or other peoples opinions of what I should be doing, this wasn't helping me, and was actually quite annoying. As a disabled person you hear too often either; that you shouldn't be doing something or the other extreme people find you inspiring. But that does little to help you internally connect with your own needs or inner peace. 

So what did I do? I went on a long journey of self exploration and discovery over several years, learning what helped me. I learnt to help myself process lifes challenges and connect with lost parts of me. I started to build a toolbox of various techniques and methods that helped me in different ways. That lived experience of experimentation is now something I can share with you. Self exploration led me to understand what truly matters to me and allowed me to find the courage within to integrate those things into my life. 

For me a huge part, and something that was stripped away following my injury when I spent years in sterile hospital like settings and rehabilitation clinics was nature. I found that by reconnecting with nature I could tune into patterns and habits of the natural world that supported me. 

I understand the importance and value of sharing these exploratory findings with others, including things that people are often afraid to talk about. I have developed an offering that uses coaching, mentoring, visualisation, nature connection and creativity to help you connect with yourself and the external world, showing up in a way that is true to yourself.