Steph
Journey to Kintsugi
Roots
My first degree was in environmental science. After spending years as part of the environmental diy/protest movement, trying to incite hope and connection I co-founded an environmental education charity that used art, performance and multi-media to inspire and inform school children. I became increasingly aware of the gap between our higher aspirations, who we want to be and our survival patterns, how we believe we have to be/ how we end up living. This led me to a deep exploration of psychology, spirituality and the difficulties of bringing our true selves into the world.
Psychotherapy
I spent five years training in psychosynthesis psychotherapy and graduated with an MA as a` psychotherapist. In my early career I worked as an addictions counsellor, with people who have experienced childhood sexual abuse and for a fostering agency supporting carers in their role with particularly disturbed children. As well as working in private practice I am a faculty member of 14 years, teacher and group facilitator at the Institute of Psychosynthesis in London.
The Body
In 2017 I began my own exploration into body psychotherapy, the physical experience of joy and the energetic release of emotional holding patterns. I studied various Neo-Reichian disciplines, training as a TRE practitioner, and most recently qualified as a biodynamic craniosacral therapist, which is a beautiful fit with my previous training and ways of working.
I’m committed to working with the body and the human organism as a whole. Learning to trust the body’s inherent wisdom. Helping the body to let go of the trauma of our past experiences and the fear of fully showing up in the present moment.
Finding Kintsugi
When Clara first described her work to me — repairing what is broken, tracing the cracks with gold, making something whole and even more beautiful — I recognised something I had been circling for years in my own practice. The philosophy of kintsugi feels deeply aligned with the relational and therapeutic work I do: the idea that rupture is not the end of the story, that repair takes care and attention, and that what has been broken can become, in time, a source of strength and meaning.
Group Work
Working with Clara, I bring the relational and somatic dimension to our organisational sessions. I support mindful creative practice by holding the group space, attending to what is alive in the room, and gently weaving in reflection and connection alongside the kintsugi. I'm interested in what becomes possible when people slow down together: the conversations that open up, the trust that builds, the moment someone realises they are not alone in what they are carrying.
Whether I'm facilitating a standalone group session or working alongside Clara in an integrated kintsugi experience, my aim is the same — to offer a space that is genuinely held and thoroughly human.
