My work is inspired and informed by my own experience:

As a humanitarian and development professional, and human rights defender, with over 15 years of experience working with international NGOs and local civil society groups in East Africa and the Middle East.

I have suffered - and recovered - from burnout. And I have seen how lack of connection or insufficient support, and toxicity and separation within humanitarian and development settings, affects staff morale and their mental and physical health.

My recovery from burnout was aided by healing modalities and embodiment practices that enabled me to reconnect with my emotional landscape in group settings where I not only felt seen and held, but where I could integrate voices and teachings which seek to end abuse and oppression both within wellbeing spaces and beyond. I have trained in kundalini yoga, trauma release exercises and womb yoga, and also in Process Work group facilitation. And I am particularly inspired by the healing justice, embodiment and collective care teachings of Joanna Macy, bell hooks, Arnold Mindell, Resmaa Menakem, Srilatha Batliwala and Uma Dinsmore-Tuli.

Since 2015 I have been conducting research, and facilitating workshops and support programmes, on creating more caring, inclusive cultures. In 2021 my first book was published - The Vulnerable Humanitarian: Ending Burnout Culture in the Aid Sector. Since then, I have been sharing the ideas and practices from The Vulnerable Humanitarian in my book circle and through workshops [link] and speaking engagements [link].

As a consultant with different international NGOs and philanthropic organisations, I have conducted research that investigates what mental health and wellbeing mean in the diverse social and cultural contexts in which these workforces operate.

I have grown up with a lot of privilege in my life, having been raised by a middle class family in a comfortable home in southwest London. But I have also grown up with trauma, isolation and grief from addiction in the family, bullying at school and the loss of both my parents. I know what it is like to feel excluded, unheard and unappreciated. And I also know what it feels like to heal from what has silenced me in the past, to use my voice with greater confidence, and to challenge systems of oppression and separation from a place of wholeness, vitality and purpose.

My wellbeing agenda is aimed at cultivating greater care, inclusivity and connection among change-makers, recognising that this is both a personal and a collective responsibility. In the words of Black activist, writer and ordained Zen priest angel Kyodo williams: "Love and Justice are not two. Without inner change, there can be no outer change. Without collective change, no change matters."

Contact me to arrange a free clarity call to establish your vision for social change with care and wellbeing at its heart, and how I can support you. Or take a look at my Work with Me page [link] and find out more about my approach.