My name is Ian and I wear different hats.

• Philosopher • Somatic Practitioner • Facilitator • Coach • Mediator • Curriculum Developer • Editor • Writer • Mental Health Educator • Tarot Practitioner • Engaged Bodhisattva-in-training • Peer Support Specialist

Principles I live by

Cultivating presence and the awareness to evaluate your perceptions, thoughts, beliefs and actions; how all of these aspects interdepend on the external world.
Putting the interests and needs of others before your own and at the same time not compromising your boundaries and capacity for compassion.
Accept responsibility not only for your contributions, but also your shortcomings and how you respond to situations, especially when shit happens.
See the bigger, holistic picture of things and embrace the connections within, without and beyond. Live in a place of learning, curiosity and wonder.
Life is short. Act for the wellbeing of seven generations and beyond. Live life with a whole heart-mind.

Lineages

I am learning how to honour the teachers, guides, frameworks, traditions that have influenced my life and my practice.

Embodied Philosophy and Spiritual Care

As a philosophical practitioner, I often draw from various frameworks and traditions to inform how should I live my life and care for others.

Buddhist Philosophy I-III by Jay Garfield in Wisdom Experience
Ecosattva Training from One Earth Sangha
Lama Rod’s Seven Homecomings
Midnight Path by Lotus Institute
Politics of Trauma by Staci Haines
Anger Lab by Reclaiming Our Own Transcendence (ROOT)
Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet from Plum Village

Movement Chaplaincy by Faith Matters Network
BA Philosophy from University of London

Facilitation

I am a facilitator by heart. Being in groups with a shared purpose to understand and care each other nourishes my whole being. I am grateful to these lineages that have shaped my practice:

Specialist Philosophy Teacher certified by the Philosophy Foundation
Work that Reconnects/Active Hope facilitator (I’m a Spiral Journey graduate)
Liberating Structures Studio from Greaterthan Academy and InsightPact.
Thriving Networks from Greaterthan Academy

Coaching and Psychotherapy

As a wellbeing practitioner, I share and educate people on skills to respond to their suffering with love and care. I do not provide psychotherapy treatment as part of my offerings. Rather, I draw from these psychotherapy frameworks to inform my practice:

Non-violent communication (NVC) and Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed Conflict and Mediation Training by John Kinyon/Mediate Your Life (Ongoing)
DBT Skills
Motivational Interviewing from Psychwire
Emotional Focused Therapy (Attachment)
Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor from QPR Institute
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from Beck Institute
Somatic Self-Compassion from Kristy Arbon
Mindful Self-Compassion from LOMSC

FAQs

What are you doing nowadays?

I’m part of the faculty at the Spiral Journey Work that Reconnects Facilitation Development Programme, enabling aspiring facilitators to hold ecological spaces of gratitude, grief and resilience.

I’m also building a community space called the noble friends club, a third space for people to gather and engaged in contemplative practices that cultivate love for self, each other and the world. We also write a lot on Substack.

It’s been great fun!