It was on my 16th birthday that my father took me to the bookshop and said he would get any book that I wanted as a present. I always loved reading... I strolled around and found the Psychology section where this book stood out for me. It was a book on the law of attraction, affirmations and mindset - This was long before "The Secret" was out. One night, I read it all and something shifted within.

The next half of my teenage years was filled with interesting characters who told me about other books and creative experiences that would create a foundation for my love of holistic health and psychology.

Purely Holistic started from this seed - A personal creative project that began in 1998. It grew into a private practice that includes being a thrapy space on London Wall where it really took off! We have seen MANY evolutions since then!

As a Third-Culture Kid (TCK) there are many reasons why our family travels - For my family, it was work. I grew up in 5 different countries and come from a diverse family of different cultures and backgrounds - A real mix of people who also live and work in different places for different reasons.

As a child, I learned to adapt quickly - To new people, languages, ideas of life and more. The word "home" for me means an internal space of peace and not just a physical location.

London, UK is my main base city for over 20 years, while I continue to travel and explore.

London! Yes, the busy grey rainy streets of London where I think it really hit me that if I was going to really explore my Self, what better place than dealing with big city life? London life is a raw space to learn how to take care of our Self.

And burnout was exactly the main factor that inspired me to explore even deeper. The first time I realised that I was in the middle of it was during a time when I was juggling an office job, studying part-time at university and growing my work as a therapist in central London. I can't remember exactly what the situation was but I just remember my reaction (or lack of it) - I was completely numb in emotions and in being present with my body. As someone who always prides my Selr in feeling deeply, this red flag hit me hard!

I went through several burnout cycles, even as a therapist working with clients on London Wall, Central London. At the time, I was also working with clients and a team of professionals who were in the field of health and going through the same - like doctors, psychologists, complementary therapists, nurses, and yoga teachers. At this point, I saw how important the topic of burnout was, even for those of us who know all about it! I also really valued how burnout and stress is importantly tied into our nervous system - It is a WHOLE-istic process to heal the old programming, which often have links to stored trauma.

Burnout affects so many of us - Thankfully, there is more awareness of workplace burnout now. However, we can experience burnout in many situations in our life - as a student, a stay-at-home mum/dad etc. Additionally, if you are a sensitive soul, I have experienced and seen how empath burnout is very real. It's good to talk about this and get it out in the open! Burnout is a calling to make changes in our lives while taking into account our personal unique experiences.

Imagine living life without any central vision. This is my reality every day. It started on my 20th birthday and quickly grew worse. I had no idea what was going on with me - After many tests in different hospitals and a visit to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, it was official.

I have Stargardt disease.

Life would be very different after that. In a world before smartphones and tablets, there was very little support and my studies felt impossible. I felt like the life I was aiming for was no longer possible. Nowadays, there are more services (like counselling) for people with new visual impairments but back then, it felt difficult to find help. I felt alone and I really struggled.

The funny thing is the new direction showed me a totally different way of life - quite literally! This is when I started exploring energy therapies, like Reiki and Chios energy healing. I learned to manage my changing strength and sensitivity in my hearing and the way to navigate the world - even to re-learn how to walk down the street as "normal". I started to "see" the world in a different way and this eventually led me to work with clients. It helped me gain my confidence and gain clarity on who I am.

These days, I have good and bad days...But I feel grateful that there is more technology, support and openness around this topic. Most clients don't even know I have this - But it offers another dimension to my sessions. I "see" how body language becomes important, notice the slight changes in tone of voice and feel how the client's energy is as we talk... the subtle keys matter to me - in my sessions and in life.

I've always been sensitive - You can call this being an empath, HSP or any other label. I jcoped with it in different ways as I was growing up - Sometimes it was healthy (I used to channel it into sports when I was young) and sometimes I found that it really contributed to burnout in my life.

The majority of my clients can relate to being sensitive too and have been through similar experiences - And this is why I am passionate about sharing tools related to this topic. To embrace the positive parts of our sensitivity - even when some days can feel overwhelming!

You'll catch me somewhere in nature (even if it is a small patch of green in the middle of the city), cooking up a veggie feast, selling crystal jewellery or exploring new music to inspire me.