Why I Do This Work

I’ve seen connection change lives in countless ways: a mother finding her voice, a teenager discovering purpose, a family learning to truly see one another. These moments remind me that beneath every role and stage of life, we all carry the same longing—to be met with presence.

If you’ve been feeling a little disconnected, you’re not alone. Even with all our ways to stay in touch, something essential can still feel missing—the hurried exchanges at home, the conversations that skim the surface, the quiet loneliness in a crowded room.

For me, this path began with a personal decision: I refused to accept inadequate childcare when my daughter was small. That choice led to the founding of Highgate House Kindergarten and Nursery in Hong Kong—a place where parents were embraced as part of a living community around the child.

The Connected Presence Practice grew organically from lived encounters—letting go of perfection, staying with discomfort, and cultivating a deep reverence for each person’s inner wisdom. Time and again, I’ve witnessed how patience, vulnerability, and authentic presence awaken the connection we all long for. This practice lives in small, transformative choices: putting down the phone to truly listen, choosing curiosity over judgment, creating spaces where children—and those we love—feel safe, seen, and deeply met.

Ways We Can Work Together

My work supports anyone seeking a return to presence—whether as a parent, a parent-to-be, or a human being longing for deeper connection.

• For Parents
  Nurture connection by creating safety, listening deeply, and guiding from presence rather than pressure.

• For Pregnancy & Parenthood
  Ground this tender threshold with practices that soften fear and open space for deeper bonding.

• For Seekers of Connection
  Lead, love, and relate with authenticity—cultivating environments where others feel they belong and can thrive.

A Life Shaped by Connection

From that first step, my work has focused on creating places where presence and relationship can thrive. Over 35 years—and through Highgate House and other early childhood centres I founded—I have worked with thousands of children and families from many cultures, reshaping how we grow, relate, and flourish together.

I gathered this experience into my book, From the Heart of Childhood: Reclaiming Presence for Connection—a legacy of lived truth more than theory. In it, childhood is a sacred unfolding rather than something to be managed:

• Truth in the Body (0–7): Building unshakeable foundations

• Beauty in the Soul (7–14): Awakening emotional and imaginative life

• Goodness in the Spirit (14–21): Supporting authentic voice and inner wisdom

How I Found My Way

Before education called me home, I worked in London’s luxury hotels, recruitment consulting, and Hong Kong real estate. Teaching, founding early years centres, and walking aligned spiritual practices drew me into a lifelong path.

As a mother and grandmother, and as a pioneer in early years education, I know the overwhelm, the questioning, and the longing for what’s real. This work draws on professional expertise, but even more deeply on lived truth.

The Power of Being Heard

I create spaces where people feel heard in ways they may never have experienced. This is not passive listening—it’s listening that liberates, dissolves old patterns, and reconnects us to ourselves and one another.

Across cultures and continents, the same truth appears: we are searching for real connection. My work bridges East and West, ancient wisdom and modern life, inner transformation and practical action. Whatever your background, you belong here.

An Open Door

I don’t come with a script or a set of quick fixes. I come as a guide, facilitator, and companion—holding space for you to remember who you are beneath roles and expectations. My approach honours human development and the individuality of each person’s journey.

It’s about becoming fully human. Fully present. Fully alive.

What’s Calling You?

The search for genuine connection touches every home, every classroom, every life. The Connected Presence Practice offers a way to meet that need with depth and authenticity.

If this resonates, let’s begin.