When I first discovered Shadow Work nearly 20 years ago, I was carrying a lot of buried anger and grief from growing up abroad, going to boarding school, and the tragic death of one of my best friends. Slowly, I began reclaiming the parts of me I’d shut away and unwinding the protective strategies I’d built to fit in and be seen as the one who could hold it all together.

That journey led me to explore Rites of Passage, and to spend a decade working with young people who felt left behind by society. I helped establish ABandOfBrothers, a charity supporting the hardest-to-reach young men. It was built on community, belonging and meaning – a place where men, young and old, could mentor and be mentored, do their inner work and re-story their lives together.

What I’ve learned is that lasting change doesn’t come from endless personal development. It comes from meeting and accepting ourselves more fully, being witnessed and held in community, and having the courage to step into who we really are.

I’m excited to be joining the Healing the Shadow training team and to support new practitioners in bringing this powerful work to more people.