Existential Development for those who want to live life more fully
Welcome!
I’m Clare, and amongst other things I’m a coach, a storyteller, a philosopher and an ecopsychologist! I work with people over 40 struggling with loss, life transitions and stuckness, who are searching for new meaning in midlife. I use art, puppets, storytelling and objects to help you explore your experiences and discover a new relationship with life where you can make decisions with courage and creativity!
I work with people who are in many ways successful, but who feel the deep pull of unfulfilment, and help them to explore the upside-down, the murky, the unknown, to expand their horizons of possibility and challenge what they thought was important. I work both 1-1 and with groups of people who want to explore their reality, confront transitions and difficulties, and explore new realms of possibility and meaning-making.
What I offer
Groups My small-group programmes last between 9 and 12 weeks, and are for people who are ready to go deep, get creative and explore a specific topic in depth. We meet weekly on zoom for around 90 minutes, with mini-projects and practices for you to explore in-between. I have found over the years that this really embeds the learning from our group calls, and allows time and space for deeper contemplation.
During each weekly session, you’ll have time to connect and reflect, before some group or individualactivities, feedback, discussion and reflection. We use various materials – from found or chosen objects, pieces of fabric and paper, to constructed ‘puppets’ and assemblages. Through these you will explore fields such as memory, relationship, meaning, loss, and shame, and your changing and evolving relationship with these. We end the sessions with a final reflection, and I invite people to take turns (if they wish) in ‘closing’ the space.
The sessions are always inspiring, often surprising and can be challenging as well as fun! You will have space to practice sitting with different feelings that come up, as well as transforming these, learning how to connect with objects, your inner world, and with the other participants, in new ways. You will also find out how you can work with story, myth and imagination to get to know yourself and your world more deeply.
To find out when the next group is starting, and for more info on ways to work with me, please sign up below.
My clients are people struggling with midlife meaning, loss, transitions and change – perhaps you are parent whose children have left home, or someone dealing with the loss of a parent, lover or friend. Maybe you are having to rethink life after divorce, a health crisis or redundancy, or just finding that suddenly, in middle age, the world seems more f****d-up and confusing than ever!
The people I work with are often outwardly successful, but life has suddenly and unexpectedly knocked them sideways. You’re probably no stranger to looking after your wellbeing, and you’ve no doubt invested in self-improvement, counselling or regular wellness sessions over the years. Yet somehow, despite all that work, something still feels lacking, and you’re not sure where to turn.
I like to work with people who are prepared to face that existential angst, to sit with the complexity and the big, philosophical life questions, and really reexamine what is meaningful to them, and why. I believe that we are all philosophers and explorers of our own lives, so if you would like to start a philosophical journey of self (and other!) discovery, then this could be the place to start!
This is for you if:
You’re 40+ and facing transition, upheaval or loss, and struggling with meaning
You’ve explored self-help, wellness or therapy, but are now looking for something different
You’re committed to exploring relationships, perspectives and personal philosophy
You’re willing to step into an imaginative, playful, space of curiosity
This is NOT for you if:
You’re looking for healing, mindset work, or nervous system resets (by all means work with this, this just isn’t that place!)
You need certainty, answers or access to a complete blueprint for life
You’re looking for a quick-fix, and don’t have time for between-session activities (I honestly think this is the best and most fun part, as well as the most important!)
For a more in-depth idea of how I work and my philosophies of being, check out the ‘about‘ page.
Why this work is different…
This project has developed over many years, working within and outside of mental health and other systems, getting to know people where they are, and bringing together diverse ideas, worldviews and experiences. I’ve spent time honing my craft with brilliant teachers in the worlds of psychology and philosophy, as well as truly gifted individuals working with the arts, theatre and the more-than-human world.
What I have been able to do – and what I think makes my work unique – is to take what I’ve learned from psychology, philosophy and research, and combine this with a critical, creative and questioning worldview inspired by world mythologies, arts and systems work.
This has enabled me to create unique, meaningful (and sometimes quite quirky) programmes that reject the quick-fix western model of ‘wellness’ in favour of a deeper, more imaginative way of thinking, working and being.
This is the work that starts when simple personal development ends.
This is the work that is unafraid to be uncertain, unfinished, and explore the strange, the complex and the messy and mystical.
This is the work that starts an existential development, and continues to accompany you on your life path.
Why I do this work
Modern living can be overwhelming, isolating and stressful, leaving you feeling disconnected, lost and frustrated. We live in a hyper-connected, yet dislocated world, with access to more information than at any other time in history, but often at the expense of the playfulness, curiosity and imagination that add real vibrancy to our lives. Living a meaningful, fulfilling life and building strong, nourishing relationships can seem further away than ever.
I’ve also been there myself; I’m adopted, and I’ve experienced many ups and downs in life, including becoming a widow and single parent at the age of 41. I’ve faced my own struggles, my own dark places, and my own demons, and I know how it feels to be overwhelmed, lost, and undone by complicated, lonely life experiences.
However, I believe that it is possible to find new ways to connect, to be, and live a more fulfilling and courageous life – that’s what I’ve done in my own life, and I’m here to help you do just that for yourself!
Want to know more? Sign up below to hear about dates for the next programme, and more information about how to join.
