About me
I help relieve and empower adults who want to feel better, gain resilience and stay well. My aim is to empower clients to be in the driving seat of their health, feeling better equipped for the road ahead. My work is rewarding, especially when clients with chronic problems or in need of relief feel comfortable and relaxed in my care.
Cancer Radical Remission coaching and healthy living lifestyle coaching has helped clients feel relieved from the full spectrum of health challenges - from wanting to live life fully whether meeting a cancer diagnosis challenge or anyone, whatever level of fitness, wanting to feel more in control of healthy habits. Advanced remedial massage and sports massage help clients relax, while an open dialogue about the physical problem and history helps clients feel comfortable (as do my professional qualifications and experience).
Some clients come to me for my classes alone, learning ancient movements that teach students how to relax, improve their body and deepen their awareness. The process helps many students work through chronic ailments and promotes a resilient wellbeing. I am honoured to be entrusted with passing down the over 1800 year-old skills of Dayan Qigong, Chen-style Tai Chi Quan and Chun Yuen Shaolin Kung Fu in these weekly classes.
I live for the moments when a client expresses surprise about feeling less pain, especially when they arrived reporting pain levels of 8/10 - 10 being the worst. Clients often feel surprised that exercise, coaching or sports massage alone can help. However for some, massage is not the solution. Some clients need more advanced clinic techniques while others pursue a long term approach - regular attendance of my weekly classes and practicing at home.
Some of the most enjoyable moments for me are surprising moments for clients; they often happen during class or remedial exercise clinic work - clients discover how to get out of pain or reduce it significantly, naturally and on their own. Empowered, they feel less dependent on pain medication or costly treatments for managing the day-to-day.
Clients may go on to attend my weekly exercises classes so that they don’t fall back into bad habits and related pain levels and to continually improve fitness and quality of life. I enjoy a long-term, therapeutic alliance with these clients. It gives them a chance to check in with me about day to day niggles, and for me to raise their awareness about changes in their movement, practices or setbacks before they get worse.
I have a particular interest and experience with helping those with chronic conditions, particularly cancer, joint hypermobility (EDS), fibromyalgia, POTS and more.
More about my career journey
I am Radicial Remission Cancer Coach, CNHC registered, ISRM LVL 5 soft tissue therapist, Premier-trained LVL 4 specialist exercise referral personal trainer and a traditionally authorised Qigong, Tai Chi and Chun Yuen (Shaolin Kung Fu) instructor. I also have a specialism in exercise and lifestyle strategies for managing chronic back pain which does not need medical intervention and am currently pursuing a specialty in exercise (to help mitigate the risk of and as well as for those with a cancer diagnosis).
In the 1990’s I left an investment banking job on Wall Street to help a start up equity investment fund and its corporate social responsible investing. I left the rat race, not wanting to be trapped in a way of living that didn’t feel authentic to me. After managing a large equity fund and designing ways to reinvest profits to help poor communities, I relocated to the UK in 2003. I moved for love and a did a post-grad degree. I enjoy daily meditation, being outdoors, and gardening.
My career journey altered paths when I put it on hold to meet a health challenge - so I understand how critical:
- physical health
- lifestyle habits
- client experiences when seeking help; and
- motivational, available, safe and effective professional services...
...are in determining quality of life. I underpinned my experience overcoming personal health challenges with qualifications in order to help those who started seeking my advice as they saw my health improve and thrive. My practice has grown from referrals made by past clients, healthcare professionals, Tse Qigong Centre members and others.
More about my health journey
After two years of remedial rehabilitation at home I started training for a triathlon with just one minute walking, one minute indoor cycling and one length of a 15 m pool, but to be honest I couldn't swim those 15 m initially.
The same year, I started training in Qigong, pronounced chee gong and also spelled as Chi Kung or similar derivatives. This traditional Chinese art stems from similar roots of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) over 1800 years ago. Qigong consists of gentle, dynamic movements that promote good health starting with relaxation, posture and natural breathing. Practitioners stimulate their own acupuncture points channels actively through movement and meditation under the guidance of a qualified teacher ‘Sifu’. It is not a martial (fighting) art and was accessible for me even in a weakened state. Qigong is for health. Western medicine has begun to evidence its benefits for promoting and maintaining physical health.
A few years later with triathlons completed and qualifying as a Traditional Chinese Qigong and Shaolin Kung Fu Instructor, among other mindbody-related professional Western qualifications, I am living a fun and rewarding quality of life previously thought impossible.
And then I was had a metastatic cancer diagnosis. Throughout over 22 rounds of first-line aggressive chemotherapy and major inpatient surgery, clinicians and others commented on how I didn't look like a patient. I coped well even though how I appeared was not well represented by the physical and emotional challenges. It was incredibly debilitating and difficult, at times I was barely able to walk, sleep or eat - I recovered quickly (sometimes faster than others) even if that meant having to do it all again the next week. Some aspects had a more cumulative effect and required other strategies and that's where mental, social and emotional resilience play a huge role.
As I recovered from these various health challenges, others began asking me for advice or referring others to me for help. I realised I had developed a new expertise and way of serving others. My approach to qualified services preserves and honours a holistic apporach that includes eastern skills in Qigong, Tai Chi, meditation and kung fu whilst working within the safe and effective, professional approach we are familiar with in the west for secular coaching, exercise rehabilitation and soft tissue therapy. I find the most effective techniques often are similar western and eastern methods - they just came to similar conclusions via differing paths.
Persistence, belief, self growth + kindness, knowledgeable instruction, baby steps and effective professional support at critical times were key to my health recovery. I would like to help you Find Your Way to a better quality of life through helping you improve your physical wellbeing.
Give Back
Read more about how Telos gives back to the community, and how you could benefit and earn points with Telos
