About Marianne
I believe deeply in the transformative power of non judgemental acceptance – where all parts of us are welcomed, heard and compassionately held. Only then can the most vulnerable parts of ourselves come forward into the light, knowing it is a safe place to be, and that they may finally be witnessed and transformed.
I have been working with individuals and couples for over 19 years now. For the last twelve years I have been working intensively with the shadow. Initially working as a shadow work facilitator and coach I have adapted, expanded and enriched my approach over time. In my Healing The Shadow practice I draw on my twin passions of relationship work and body work. Combining these with shadow work creates a strong and safe framework of holding which allows profound change to take place and be integrated. I am deeply committed to providing a compassionate and transformative place for people who wish to explore and heal their shadows.
Nourishing and sustaining my practice
Along with my trainings in relationship work, body work and shadow work I draw strongly on the experience gained on my own life’s path and healing journey. I also bring insights gained in studying quantum physics and cosmology at university, in teaching science in inner city schools and in raising a child as a single parent.
I regularly receive a variety of therapies and body work as part of my own ongoing personal and spiritual journey. I continue to work with the impact of childhood trauma on my life, integrating and transforming these early experiences and bringing understanding and care to the parts of myself I find hard to accept.
I give Healing The Shadow sessions regularly to colleagues so as to receive feedback and support and I have regular supervision for both individual and couples work. I also meet regularly with other psychotherapists, counsellors and facilitators for peer support and supervision. Continuing to nourish and explore myself in these ways is invaluable in enriching and developing my work and bringing compassion, humility and vitality to my practice.
Individual and Group work
I have been seeing clients for individual shadow work sessions for 13 years now and I have been running groups workshops for over eleven years. Over this time I have developed and expanded my understanding of the shadow, integrating body wisdom, relationship work and communication skills in to my practice. From my experience as a Body Worker I am particularly comfortable, when necessary, with being with my clients in a place that is beyond words, emotionally holding and supporting them when the work becomes non verbal – maybe because trauma occurred too early to be put into words, or because words are simply inadequate or too hard to find. I work with a wide variety of clients and continue to be filled with awe and gratitude at the power and beauty of working with the shadow, and how it has transformed my own life and the lives of so many others.
Couples Work and Communication work
Working as a relationship counsellor in Bristol was my first experience of working with people therapeutically. It gave me a solid understanding of the complexity and beauty of relationships – the dance that two people do, the dynamics we create and how our shadow sides play out. This is rich territory for healing and some of the most exciting and transformative work I do. I find it important to have a solid framework so that the work can go deep but also stay on track. For this I use the Five Fields Framework that I have developed for this purpose. This is described on the Authentic Communication page.
Body Work
I studied Shiatsu at the Bristol School of Shiatsu and went on to be a teaching assistant there. We studied the complex Chinese network of energy meridians which make up our body and being. I came to understand that our emotional lives and histories are stored in our bodies and that any unexpressed emotion, frozen trauma or unowned aspects of ourselves will make themselves known through the body. This may show up as pains, tensions, illness, or unconscious bodily movements and gestures. All these signs, if recognised, can provide a gateway to healing. I integrate this deep learning in to my Healing The Shadow work.
Over the last fourteen years I have worked with a wide range of clients using shiatsu and other body work tools to support them on their healing process. We work together to heal the shadow through the body and to offer comfort and support to the parts which have been unseen and unmet.
Training Centre
In 2019, with the support of my colleague Rod Boothroyd, I established the Healing The Shadow training centre in Frome. Together Rod and I devised the innovative and highly experiential Two Year Practitioner Training. This training allows trainees to focus not only on learning powerful and effective tools for healing deep wounds and integrating shadow material, but also on exploring and healing their own emotional wounds and gaining an understanding and acceptance of their own shadows. This enables trainees to become authentic and deeply holding practitioners who work with integrity, ease, sensitivity and passion.
The centre also offers one year post graduate trainings in group facilitation, couples and relationship work and supervision.
Qualifications and training
Shadow Work Coach 2010 – 2018 I qualified as a Shadow Work coach in 2010 with Shadow Work Seminars Incorporated and was certified with them as a coach for eight years.
Shadow Work Group Facilitator 2012 – 2018 I qualified as a Shadow Work Facilitator in 2012 with Shadow Work Seminars Incorporated and was certified with them as a Group Facilitator for six years.
Shiatsu Practitioner I qualified as a Shiatsu Practitioner with the Bristol School of Shiatsu in 2008.
I worked as a teaching assistant with the Bristol School of Shiatsu from 2011 – 2013.
I completed postgraduate trainings with the Bristol School of Shiatsu in 2017 and 2020.
Couples Counsellor I completed the full two year training with Relate from 2003 – 2005 and worked for Relate Bristol as a couples counsellor for two years. After this I continued to work with couples in private practice and later integrated shadow work into this practice.
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