For nearly forty years I have worked closely with children, parents, teachers, and leaders.

I founded and led early childhood schools in Hong Kong and the UK, bridging educational approaches across cultures and working closely with families from diverse backgrounds. I established a school for my own children. I developed and led a UK government recognised training programme.

But what shaped me most was not the institutions.

It was observing.

Watching what happens when a child feels safe and truly met.

Observing what happens when they do not.

Some children withdraw.
Some become very compliant.
Some act out, call out, or test the edges of the room.

None of this is random.

It is adaptation.

Years later, I began to recognise those same patterns in capable, responsible adults.

The over functioning.
The constant managing.
The quiet self neglect.

I have raised four children. I am now a grandmother.

I know what it is to hold responsibility for others.

To be relied upon.
To stay steady even when you are exhausted.

And I know the moment of realising I was carrying more than was mine.

Over time I came to understand something clearly.

The way we are met as children shapes how we relate as adults.

It shapes how we speak in a meeting.
How we respond to conflict.
How much we believe we must hold on our own.

Connected Presence grew from years of observing this arc across generations and cultures.

From working closely with children in classrooms.
From sitting with parents.
From guiding women who lead teams and families.

My book, From the Heart of Childhood: Reclaiming Presence for Connection, holds many of the reflections and experiences that shaped the 8 stage Connected Presence Pathway.

But this work is not theoretical.

It happens in real relationship.

I do not teach women to push harder.

I help them recognise the patterns that once kept them safe and capable, and to soften and listen to what is now needed.

To soften the strain.

To listen to their own steadiness.

So they can lead with clarity rather than constant effort.

So they can feel present without carrying everything alone.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

My work is grounded in both lived experience and formal study.

I hold a university degree in Language and Management and trained as an Early Childhood Teacher.

I am qualified in Therapeutic Play, Counselling, and Nutrition.

I developed and led a UK government recognised training programme.

I am a published author and a recognised teacher with the Active Practical Love Initiative, and I have undertaken Compassionate Inquiry study.

These qualifications and experiences inform my work, and they shaped my path.

When early patterns are brought into awareness and gently integrated, something shifts.

Leadership becomes steadier.

Relationships feel less effortful.

Life feels less like something to manage and more like something to inhabit.

This work is not about revisiting trauma or recreating the past.

It is not about me fixing you.

The power lies in learning how to listen.

To yourself.

To your own signals and responses.

And to others in a way that feels nourishing rather than draining.

When you feel steady, listening becomes easier.

And when listening is no longer effortful, it becomes natural.

Interest returns.

Curiosity returns.

Connection strengthens.

From there, steadiness grows.

This is where the practice deepens.

Explore the 8 Week Connected Presence Journey

This work isn’t about doing more.
It’s about remembering who we are when we’re fully here.