I am a psychotherapist, writer, international trainer, and world expert in imagery based therapies. I am Co-founder/Director since 1979 of Skyros Holistic Holidays, which has pioneered community-oriented holistic health holidays worldwide.
More recently, I have founded and directed the Aurora Centre in Southern Italy, to train therapists, counselors, and consultants in ImageWork.
I am a course leader on the Faculty of the MA(Clinical) in Psychotherapy of the Tivoli Institute in Dublin, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Humanistic Psychology (Britain).
I have been a pioneer in ImageWork, a method of using inner imagery to understand ourselves and guide our lives and those of our clients, am the Honorary President of the International Imagework Association, and the author of the classic Life Choices, Life Changes, an essential introduction to all aspects of imagery, as well as You Are what You Imagine which is a guide to the three steps you need to take from where you are to where you want to be, using ImageWork.
I’ve also specialised in burnout, having burnt out myself and understood its underlying message to me, and am the author of The Joy of Burnout , which offers a visionary new approach to burnout as a positive step in a soul journey. I have also done research into fears of the future, where they come from, and how to heal them.
I have also written a memoir, Into the Woods and Out Again which is an account of key moments in my journey, ranging from having an experience of madness, to starting Skyros Holidays, to pioneering ImageWork, to dealing with marriage, motherhood, divorce, and all manner of life events.
I have taught courses and workshops, and spoken at conferences all over the UK and in almost every major European country including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany and Greece, as well as in the USA, Russia,Thailand, Cambodia and Japan, and have a presence on UK radio and television.
The Skyros experience
One of the things I am best known for is Skyros Holistic Holidays in Greece, Thailand, and Cuba, which I co-founded in 1979 and still co-direct with Dr.Yannis Andricopoulos. The first alternative holiday centre in Europe, Skyros offers wide-ranging courses in beautiful locations with a unique community atmosphere. A central principle is the creation of “soul community” – a sense of belonging and authenticity such that everyone who comes can immediately feel at home and feel seen and recognised for who they are and who they are becoming.
Skyros quickly became internationally known as a kind of greenhouse for personal and spiritual development, as well as a cultural experiment in a creating a model for a healthy temporary society. It has been the subject of novels, films, short stories, and poems, featured in almost every major UK and European newspaper and magazine, and it started a trend in alternative and holistic holidays that spread throughout the world. It has also been the starting point of life change, career change, geographical change, not to mention lots of marriages and new babies for thousands of the participants who have shared the Skyros experience.
Today there are two centres on the Greek island of Skyros, both with a community atmosphere, and courses by world class teachers. One is the Skyros Centre, in the village, which offers not only personal development courses but also health and healing, a writers lab, and creative courses. The writers lab attracted some of the most well-known writers of their time, including Sue Townsend, Steven Berkoff, Margaret Drabble, Hanif Kureishi, DM Thomas, Bernice Rubens, Alison Lurie. Atsitsa, between pine forest and sea, is a holistic holiday, and offers a wide range of courses from including dance, music, comedy, yoga, art, windsurfing, kayaking, writing mosaics, personal development, and many others.
The story of Skyros complete with photos is told in Skyros: Sunshine for the Soul, by Dr. Yannis Andricopoulos and myself, and on the Skyros website, www.skyros.com
And now
My most recent book, being launched on April 7, 2022, is ImageWork: The Complete Guide to working with transformational imagery (PCCS Books). This is a training book for psychotherapists, counsellors, coaches, consultants, supervisors, and helping professionals in working with the imagination to enhance learning, health and healing, creative achievement, and practical wisdom.
Dr Martin Rossman, leading imagery author in the USA, has said about ImageWork “In my 50 years in the field, this is the best book I have read about working with imagery for healing, creativity and personal transformation. A landmark book—I shall be studying it.”
I am also launching a training programme online and at the Aurora Centre to train practitioners in ImageWork.
I also try to leave time for the actual living!