I’m Rachel.

The first half of my life was all about being good.

I was a good girl. I was good at school (a straight A student), and went off to Cambridge University to study. I spent some time in academia, and then joined the world of advertising. I progressed up the ladder, shifting first into digital marketing, then into innovation, and everything looked rosy (from the outside, at least). I was running big strategy departments for some of the world’s best agencies; I had a lovely home in London and was earning a great salary; I was surrounded by friends and all the excitement of London life.

Then things unravelled.

The life that felt so exciting in my 20s and 30s lost its shine. Work was stressful, and my heart wasn’t in it anymore. I realised that I had never actually made a conscious decision to do any of what I’d ended up doing… and decided it was time to change course.

Problem was, I didn’t know where to start.

Part of me was paralysed with fear at the prospect of change. But there was also a part that was absolutely ready to dive into something new. The big question was, how?

Looking back, I realise I spent years looking outside myself for answers - as you’d expect a good girl to do, I suppose. Show me a new hoop to jump through!

The shift came when I started looking inside.

I discovered 3 practices that made all the difference. Firstly, starting to reconnect to my body and what it was telling me. Secondly, starting to examine and unpack the stories I was living in and by – and realising it was possible to re-author them. And thirdly, using psychedelics intentionally to heal past trauma, explore and integrate the various parts of myself, and open up new possibilities.

Real transformation happens through the body, through the stories we live by, and through a process of bringing more of who we really are into consciousness.

This is deep work. It can be very uncomfortable at times (as all transition is), but it is the most valuable work we can do for ourselves. Jung said it best: ‘Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.’

As I navigated my way through my own messy middle, I learned a lot about tools and modalities we’ve largely forgotten about in Western society.

I now use these tools - somatics, story and psychedelics - to help others look inside and remember what really matters and who they really are. Most of my work is focused on helping people navigate the many transitions of midlife: freeing themselves from restrictive narratives, connecting to and embodying their unique purpose, and making a positive impact in the world.

I also work with leaders and future leaders who are interested in systems change – addressing the toxic structures of corporate, extractive capitalism by creating new, sustainable, equitable ways of working and living.

If you’re interested in how these tools could help you navigate your own ‘messy middle’, and create a life rich in meaning, connection and purpose, please get in touch.