I began my role as Regional Officer for North East Churches Acting Together (NECAT) in January 2024. My husband and I moved to Northumberland from Canada at the end of last year and this role has been a wonderful opportunity to become acquainted with the unique spiritual and cultural landscape of our new home.
My career has been committed to the healing and growth of individuals and communities. I started with a formative experience in L’Arche, living in intentional community with people with disabilities. Core to our life together was building relationships of mutual vulnerability and compassionate service to each other. I went on to complete a Masters degree in Spiritual Care & Psychotherapy and worked with individuals and families to provide spiritually-integrated therapy.
After several years of working in psychotherapy, I decided to return to L’Arche in a leadership role and took on the role of leading multi-faith teams as they built community through their development of shared experiences of humility, compassion, and celebration. Most recently, I worked in Community Chaplaincy, supporting people who have been incarcerated to find local churches and faith communities that support their spiritual life. This involved providing chaplaincy support and equipping churches to offer a safe and informed welcome to people who have been incarcerated.
My personal spiritual journey has been ecumenical in its scope, with influences from diverse evangelical and Catholic faith communities. I’m currently finding my home in the Church of England. I am excited to bring all of this experience together as I embark on this ecumenical work in the North East. My hope is that, being rooted in Christ’s generous love, we might be expressions of his humility and compassion towards our neighbour, both within and outside the church.