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I’m a certified practitioner in a multitude of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual health and wellbeing modalities amassing thousands of in person classroom hours across the globe and countless in research.
I’ve been to more conferences, workshops, events, and ashrams than I can recall, and studied with and questioned some of the most prolific names on the planet. I’ve worked on cruise lines, and luxury hotels internationally, and owned a very successful studio in Lake Como Italy, serving The creme de la creme of Italian society including; athletes, footballer’s wives, surgeons, doctors, and high end fashion designers, to name a few - The Truth is life challenges don’t discriminate, and sometimes regardless of how much we think we know life has other plans..at least it did for me.
The world, and my path is as much my classroom as my professional training; The pain, beauty, trials, and triumphs; the people, cultures, and customs I meet along the way are my lessons and my muse.
I’ve loved and hated my life, I’ve lived it and almost lost it. I’ve endured more than my fair share of challenges, adversity, extreme trauma, and mental health; Faced death, violation, violence, tragic loss and much of it…and I’ve ultimately learned to live side by side with them. I’ve witnessed joy, beauty and healing….and I’ve been grateful for them.
It’s been incredibly liberating and empowering taking the ultimate level of responsibility for my life, regardless of what’s been thrown at me, from whom, and from where. I’ve gained so much in surviving those challenges, believing every experience from the profoundly painful, to the miraculously magical have helped me become the compassionate, curious, perceptive, candid, Way shower, Truth Sayer, and Helper I am today.
Whatever decision or challenge you are facing I hope I can help you find the light in the darkness.
Sometimes saying something out loud lets the world know WE count.
***If you trigger easy, you may not want to read this...
I was born in Middlesbrough to a loving mam and dad and two brothers 8 and 9 years older than me. We were a working class family and my dad worked in British steel. My eldest brother John had severe Asthma and eczema, and was a volatile lad. Me, I came out of the womb with PTSD.. I could go from 0-100 screaming in less than a second - I was an undiagnosed Autistic with ADHD. Consequently my house was like an unintentional war zone.
I walked on my toes most of the time hence earning the name Twinkle toes. I was cute, weird, and a pain in the butt equally.
My dad was killed in an explosion at work when I was 14. Thats when my life fell apart. I wanted to get away from the place my dad was killed even though I love my mamma to pieces. I was offered a place in Uni and refused...I think it took may mamma ages to get over that, but I told her its just a bunch of out dated academic stuff and not worth anything. ( sorry )
I worked in Spain and Ibiza. I sold tickets at nightclubs. I worked in Madrid to learn spanish. I also worked in Rome, Italy as an aupair. I went to a private college in London to study sports therapy and massage. I worked in Pineapple Studios teaching aerobics! I also worked in Greece.
Too many men abused me - Five!! One of them a doctor in Italy while I was unconscious. Another one violently in the South of Italy - He was from a powerful family. One of them was my partner who liked the whole Hit and Kiss gig...apparently so did I becasue I stayed until one day I knew if I didn't I'd kill him.
I worked on cruise ships for 4 years. I even married a dutch officer. He's a captain now...sigh..I was also married another time in my 20's. I also got divorced in my 20's. I had three second trimester miscarriages at that time which devestated me, and also watched my brother John die of septacemia in intensive care. It was brutal and wouldn't wish it on anyone. I had a shared death experience with John...
The only time I took a drug willingly was a hit of cannabis...I ended up with DP/DR. Brutal!! I was date drugged twice and I don't even drink!!!! ( Cue the dcotor who was supposed to be taking care of me....he was a friend???)
I was in therapy years. One day I watched myself from above and looked at my therapist and thought "I'm sick of talking about myself - I don't know how he feels!" So I left. I'm not sure it did much for me, but I liked him. Best thing he said to me was... "You're classy and cocky Debs. You should use it!" Took me ages to use his advice - but now I work it.
It doesn’t make us weak, damaged, failing, or incompetent, if we get it ‘wrong’ or we seem imperfect. It just means we are struggling in that moment. No-one is ‘less than.’ Remembering at any given moment it could happen to us, is what makes us human, and how we handle it is not always how we think, or hope. I’m humbled in that thought.
DEBS
I went to Lake Como on a whim...literally!! I opened a studio and for three months bit my nails.. My first client arrived. She brought the elite of Como to my door; Wives of Inter Milan, high end fashion houses, surgeons, doctors, athletes, and just regular peeps like me who wanted to improve their life. I was the business..people revered me...I lived the life...( don't be jealous it's not a great ending.)
I also threw myself into my spiritual roots, mysticsim, positive thinking and the Law of Attraction, and manifesting stuff. It worked for a while...and then it didn't! I had to learn the hard way before I came back to it in a more grounded way, because in fact the Spiritual path is one of the most intense and authentic to follow because it purges from the inside out.
So all of this high life is going on while I'm equally tormented inside. I mean how could I not be? Lets face it my life had been a shit show in many ways...Anyway I did all this fancy work, had all these fab qualifications, and could sort anyone's life out...Literally! Apparently just not mine.
One day I snapped...I started to unravel...you know what they say?? No?? I'll tell you...
Fate is a powerful drug and it seemed the Universe was about to force my hand. I was going to be hit with my trauma debt and disorder once and for all....the debt had to be paid!
I left my studio...just like that!! ( I told you not to be jealous!!) I went back to my hometown intending to stay for just a few months. I stayed seven years Aargh!!!
Systemic inflammation from a chronically overworked nervous system left me with severe anaemia, and a severe skin disease lasting years. I had two dissociative seizures, dislocated my shoulder running from a giant rat! ( I lie not...it was an airbnb in Texas - they took me to a hospital in an ambulance). I smashed my coccyx unable to walk for two months; I lost the use of my pelvic floor for around 6 long months. I was a physical and emotional mess. I went from 100k a year to zero, lost virtually all of my money, my work, confidence...
They say we all have a real breaking point and I finally met mine on a Sunday afternoon. I was about to end my life but something else was equally invested in keeping me here....
Cue emergency services banging on my door...Apparently I was still here. I knew without any doubt that I was meant to be here...I said out loud... ‘I think I’ll start again.’ And I did. ( well after a couple of weeks bed rest)
I got my sorry bootie out of bed every morning at 5am to go running. I hate running!!! I had to do something I hated though it was part of my mental challenge.
With intense work I gradually found an internal dialogue I could connect with as I started to re-learn how to live. Eventually I learned to focus on the capacities I already possessed and the positives and possibilities of my Conditions. I started to become more present and grounded within myself, and began to untangle myself from the masses and create an inner safety and stability I could rely on. One day I thought.." Wow. I rock!"
For all of my life I’d hidden so much of who I was, and the things that had been done to me for fear of being judged. I hid my diverse brain and pain until I didn’t know who I was anymore.
Regardless of how completely fragmented I'd been I still needed people to see my strengths, amazing capacities, depth, wisdom and smile; Likewise, I needed people to really connect with me and witness the burden I carried, yet that compassion was hard to come by.
For those who knew me less they saw me as unsuccessful, struggling, broken, negative, erratic, confused, on a lower vibe, and lost. For those who knew me well, they saw me as joyful and courageous, therefore something that would pass in an instant,
What I know to be true in my heart, is life is so much more than this set of rules and guidelines, called ‘functioning’ which we agree to from birth to death. It’s an endless web of knowledge, felt experience, essence, simplicity and love. What I also know is our humanness applies to even the most ‘spiritual’ of us, and what makes us sanely human and profoundly spiritual, is understanding the path is also much more than seeking some grand version of love, its about learning to meet humanity in our struggle, in our differences - coming together not turning away.
DEBS
I’ve learned sometimes you have to face the death of what you thought your life would look like to invite something more beautiful and brighter in.
I’ve found a sustainable way of living side by side with challenges, and still loving life simultaneously, because FYI in case you didn;t get the memo...no life comes without challenges..
It’s been a long and humbling journey, and looking back I wonder if I could have done anything to change the timeline or course of my path, yet I essentially stayed so close and true to my journey I garnered so much from it.
I can see now how much more than my professional experience, it’s the experiential journey, sheer intensity of challenges, the success and the failures, and the innovations within them, which are the most transformative to the level of understanding, wisdom, intuition, presence, depth, and leadership I provide to my clients in their challenges and questions.
So here I am. No mask, no pretence, simply showing up in the moment and the felt sense of being alive and present.As a client said : I bought the "High class ticket" no easy mediocre ticket for me. I've crawled on glass and came out triumphant. That qualifies me to work with anyone. My clients get 100% from me.
The majority of my role is role is with high achieving private clients and they get the best with me. No nonsense but sensitive. Candid and straight talking but empathetic and all about the love.
I also do workplace wellness - I've spoke on Burnout - Motivation - Nervous System Regulation - Embodiment - Breathwork - to name a few. I'm told I have a very unique perspective - It's true I do - I figure you don't get through a path like mine without acquiring a lot of wisdom and a big picture view.
I'm busy gadding about the world..from US to Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico and UK mainly. Fortunately tech allows us to connect wherever we are so I hope our paths cross...So when you're ready.. lets chat...
Other stuff ...
I love my mamma more than life itself...
I've attended around 150 in person events across the world. I was doing Biohacking when it was just called Longevity! I was drinking Chia seeds in my water before most people knew what they were. I was at the David Avocado Wolfe's 'Longevity Now ' Conferences in Anaheim which made people like Wim Hof and Dave Asprey famous - Nobody really knew who they were before that.
I used to chew my food six times then spit it in the bin...I had an eating disorder.
I laid out on the top of the ship all night with my duvet watching the northern lights in Alaska
I walked the Great Wall of China ( well part of it ). Swam with dolphins in the Bahamas. Thought a bear was going to kill me in Canada.
It took me ten years to get over BPD and OCD.
I really am classy..and cocky...and sweet..just don't mess with me.
I don't believe in 'showy' I met one of the richest men in the world...he didn't either...
Ten minutes in a room with me and i'll find your triggers.....
I'm spiritual and i'll have that conversation but I don't like the spiritual bypassing stuff...I still keep it real.
I want to do the Triple Crown Treks - AT - PCT - GCD.
I started climbing two years.
I have paradoxical fear and freeze. Put me in a warzone and i'll figure it out - give me a form and I may melt down.
People think I won't like working with men. I do. Men..You think I can't handle you? I can.
My past doesn't haunt me anymore, so don't ply pity on me. I dislike it!!!
I'm quite a minimalist but I still like nice things.
I want to reach at least 100 countries...I'm already at 78.
People say working with me is like being slapped and hugged at the same time..( hmm)
I'm no nosense, straight talking, down to earth..I'm also compassionate, kind, loving, empathetic.
I don't lock myself into any particular belief. As Krishnamurti said " As long as the mind clings to a belief it keeps us a prisoner."
