My Story
A degree in psychology gave me valuable insight into the scientific approach to understanding human behaviour. However, it left me searching for effective tools to improve my own mental and emotional states or to support others in their own healing journey.
It wasn’t until I walked into a mindfulness workshop, as a stressed and depressed 20 something year old property entrepreneur that I began to understand how I could become happier, healthier and more self-aware. I dove into eastern forms of meditation and energy cultivation and soon became a qualified meditation teacher, counsellor and Touch For Health kinesiologist.
My interest in both eastern and western modalities greatly informs the holistic approach I strive to take with my clients today. I find this combination can support the mind, body and spirit.
I believe that no matter what you have experienced in the past, how stuck or out of balance you feel right now, we all have the potential to live more healthy, happy and content lives.
Men’s Work
In addition to practicing as a counsellor and meditation teacher I also co-facilitate Four Great Fires with my good friend Jimmy Wheale. In younger years I somewhat overlooked men's work, my perception being that I couldn’t see the benefits it would offer beyond those I gained from the trainings and workshops I’d done in mixed gender groups.
I had always been drawn to team sports and I now see that a core aspect of the enjoyment was the connection and camaraderie I experienced with team mates.
As my journey of personal development continued I realised there was a gap in my life for a space to explore what it was to be a modern man and to learn from other men with a diversity of life experiences.
I found myself craving a deeper sense of belonging to a nurturing community, outside family life, as well as a place to share real stuff authentically, away from the pub or other usual social hang out spots.
This led us to create the supportive and transformative space that Four Great Fires has become.
Meditation
As I progressed through my twenties I found myself continually stressed and struggling with increasingly negative thoughts and feelings of being lost. I began searching for a practice that would help me move beyond the mind; to find a place of peace and be with my emotions rather than seeking to escape from them.
Mindfulness was the first gateway I found to developing a completely different relationship with stillness and my inner world. This led to a deeper dive into the teachings and practices of both Zen and Vedanta.
I later discovered non-dual meditation and what felt like a more direct pathway to developing a relationship with spirituality.
A commitment to a regular meditation practice has supported me through some of the most turbulent times of my life. It became a sign-posting tool that helped me make decisions that were more aligned with my intuition and inner truth as opposed to following the “shoulds” of my familial and cultural conditioning.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is introducing clients to meditation and guiding them on the path to creating a self-sustaining practice on solid foundations, that will continue to evolve along with their own inner enquiry.
Qualifications & CPD
Degree in Psychology 2:1 - University of Sussex, School of Cognitive & Computing Sciences | Master’s Degree | Accredited Counsellor | Meditation Teacher | Touch For Health Practitioner | Transpersonal Psychotherapy Diploma (Year 1) & Certificate in Facilitating Spiritual Growth in Therapy – The Centre for Counselling & Psychotherapy Education | Core Belief Release Practitioner Training – Purple Pathway
Accreditations
“I found my sessions to be incredibly profound. Sam helped my reach hidden parts of myself I needed to discover. I felt a seismic shift in how I understood myself and have felt like a different human being since.”
- James, counselling client
“My work with sam was very liberating psychologically and emotionally. He’s a very good listener and will give you the attention that you need. He applied all his knowledge to what I was going through at the time and didn’t try to fit me into any boxes. He helped me shine a light on what was within me and I felt supported and held.”
- Laurence, counselling client