I’ve collaborated with charities including RECLAIM, 42nd Street, Walk the Plank, School’s Out, The Men’s Room and The Proud Trust, led workshops in women’s centres, community centres, libraries, schools and universities, and have a proven track record of being able to engage groups of all ages and backgrounds. I’m an empathic, passionate facilitator who’s repeatedly received glowing feedback about the thought, creativity, energy and skill I put into my sessions. From sexual violence survivors to young offenders, I have experience of working with a wide range of demographics, and tailor every session to my audience’s needs, taking into account background, literacy level and other relevant factors to make sure everyone feels as safe, supported and empowered as possible.

Tying into my work as a counsellor and therapist, I’m especially passionate about using creative approaches to support mental health and wellbeing. There is a wealth of research demonstrating that creative writing can contribute to increased resilience, higher self-esteem, better moods, decreased stress and even improvements in pain levels and sleep (James W. Pennebaker’s work in this area is brilliant if you want to learn more). Along with the scientific evidence to support this, I’ve seen it over and over again in my workshops, with feedback repeatedly showing that participants feel more confident and positive afterwards. I’ve also collaborated with numerous organisations to lead workshops and talks about various models and strategies for understanding and enhancing mental health and wellbeing – you’ll find more details about this on the mental health page.

From 2015-2020, I delivered Write Like a Grrrl creative writing workshops for thousands of women and non-binary writers across the North West. These workshops – delivered in six-week or one-day formats – explore the challenges that come with writing and how these can be addressed, as well as empowering participants with knowledge, skills and confidence about essential fiction writing techniques like dialogue, characterisation, setting and editing.