"I believe that every person holds
a place of perfect wisdom within themselves
and holds all the tools they need
for their healing..."
My name is Melanie, and I support people who are going through big transitions in their life to trust themselves more deeply than ever, and to reconnect with their passion for life. I believe that, with the right support, times of transition can be embraced as 'rites of passage'; an opportunity to be transformed, to be 're-born' into the next stage of our life's journey.
I have been through several major transitions in my own life, including bereavements, career change, divorce and, recently, relocating my life and business to rural Devon, to live with my partner (now my husband) and his teenage daughter, surrounded by the wild nature of Dartmoor. I am now also emerging out the other side, after the initiation of my menopausal years.
Of course, your journey is completely unique, but I feel I know some of the territory:
I know how difficult big transitions can be. I know what it's like to feel lost, to feel like you don't know who you are anymore, to feel like you've been knocked off your path, and to feel alone in it all... But I also know that it's possible to come out the other side. And, not only that, but it is possible to come out the other side feeling more excited about life than ever, with a deeper understanding of yourself, and a renewed sense of passion and alignment with your life's purpose.
That is the vision that I hold for you, through the dark times, when you are in the void...
If you feel called to work with me, it would be my deep honour to sit with you in the dark, and walk alongside you on your journey, as you birth your new empowered, alive and aligned self.
A bit about my background:
I have been using Shiatsu for 18 years, to help people transform pain and difficulty; to connect with their bodies and emotions, and to access their inner wisdom.
I gained my Diploma in Shiatsu after completing the 3-year training with the Bristol School of Shiatsu, one of the longest established Shiatsu schools in the UK. I have also completed post-graduate study with the school, and was a teaching assistant with the school for many years.
My experience includes working as a shiatsu practitioner for charities Naomi House, a mother and baby home for women with a history of street sex work; and the Rosie Crane Trust for bereaved parents.
Prior to developing my healing work, I spent a decade as a freelance artist working in education, where I worked with children, young people and adults, and found great joy in using my creativity to bring beauty into the world and helping others to do the same.
I first encountered Shadow Work® in 2009, and was so impressed with the depth, power and safety of this work that I began my training soon afterwards. I am a qualified one-to-one Shadow Work Coach and Shadow Work Group Facilitator and regularly run Shadow Work weekends with my partner and co-facilitator Tim Hall.
My work with clients is also supported by training in Transformational Dialogue and Body Focused Enquiry with Keith Phillips, and experience from my own healing journey and personal practice of 5Rhythms Dance, yoga and T'ai Chi. Other passions include drawing, writing and being in nature.