As an idealistic young woman, Sarah was drawn to work that aimed to make things better for people and planet. She spent nearly two decades as a policy adviser and researcher on issues such as climate change and the social impacts of large companies, working across charities, business and international organisations.

It was an exciting career, but in 2017 her health collapsed with ME/CFS. Long-term stress in her work and personal life, alongside injuries, viruses and frequent travel, all contributed to the unravelling.

Illness upturned Sarah’s life for several years.  And new pressures came in, including grief, loss, and supporting elderly and learning-disabled relatives.  Having previously engaged in personal therapy, Sarah was instinctively drawn to a mind-body approach to healing.  She took many routes including meditation, spiritual enquiry, nutrition, different types of bodywork and pacing.

The OHC model —which links illness to stress responses, trauma and energy-depleting personality traits — resonated deeply with Sarah. Working with her own coach and then subsequently training as a Therapeutic Coach herself,  she credits this model as being central to her recovery journey.

Through this therapeutic work she understood the transformative impact of self-compassion, learnt new ways to work through her emotions, and saw how early experiences shaped hard-wired patterns, such as over-giving and perfectionism.

Sarah now considers it a privilege to support others in their health journey.  She creates a gentle space for clients to gain personal insight, to process difficult emotions and to access their inner resources to improve their health and flourish.

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