Hello and welcome to my website

Here I share what I am passionate about, a bit about my background and ways in which my vision for a different world finds expression.

My work is primarely about teaching skills and resources to live life with more integrity and to facilitate change through dialogue (inner and outer) and transformed human relationships.

This happens through public events (workshops, weekly classes, weekend retreats and practice groups), work with organisations (mediation, training and facilitation of collaborative decision-making and visioning processes) and involvement with community based projects. The core of my work is inspired by a form of learning that transforms consciousness and relationships. The skills I teach include empathy, hosting challenging or meaningful conversations, conflict resolution, decision making, team effectiveness, and transforming core, limiting beliefs.

I am inspired by key thinkers, educators and activists. Amongst those are thinkers and activists in the movement for nonviolence (especially Miki Kashtan and other trainers in Nonviolent Communication), facilitators in the Biodanza community worldwide, Anne Hope and Sally Timmell who created Training for Transformation, Joanna Macy who facilitates Despair and Empowerment work and Parker Palmer who created the Circles of Trust and Courage to Teach approaches.

My self-employed work is relatively new. For several years & until the end of 2010, I coordinated the Centre for Human Ecology's (CHE) masters degree in human ecology at the University of Strathclyde. Previous to that, I co-run the CHE's Community Programme and worked with various communities in Scotland, including black & ethnic minority communities, to empower, conscientise and inspire folks to take action in their locality.

I am married to Alastair McIntosh, author & activist. We live in Drumoyne, part of the Greater Govan area of Glasgow. We chose it because, amongst other things, we have strong connections with the Govan-based GalGael Trust. We are also involved in the newly founded Govan Folk University (GFU), a partnership of four locally based organisations which aims to deepen learning in the community.

I originally come from France but spent most of my childhood in Africa (Algeria, Ivory Coast and Congo) where my parents were involved in medical and adult training work. I am a trained "ingénieur en agriculture'' from the "Ecole Supérieure d'Agriculture de Purpan" (Toulouse) and hold a Master's degree in economics of agricultural & rural development from the University of Montpellier. Before moving to Scotland in 1997, I spent several months in Ireland where i met Alastair and made friendships that have lasted to this day. Whilst working in Ballymun (a deprived area of North Dublin), I was introduced to Training for Transformation which opened me to the power of participation, transformative learning and social change. That is when i departed from my original training and have since focused my work on learning, teaching and facilitating transformative practices. I practice meditation, yoga, nonviolent communication, Biodanza, and am part of Glasgow Quaker Meeting.