A moving conversation with Nicola Kelly who gave birth 22 years ago but only recently realised that she had locked the difficult memories of her birth experience away.

Nic booked in to see me for a 1 to 1 IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy) session and after an hour she had some significant changes not only in how she thought about the memories, but in the way she related to her son and her own body.

Our conversation reflects on her birth expeirence and how she has come to think and feel about it now. 

Nic is a Certified NLP Practitioner and has recently trained as an IEMT Practitioner with me.

Facebook: Nicola Kelly - Life & Change Coach

If you would like to find out more about IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy) please visit our website: https://breakfreeandthrive.co.uk/iemt-training/

Helen Acklam is an artist based in Bristol and at BV Studios, Bedminster. 

Her practice is site-responsive and draws on personal experiences and events to explore ideas around death, loss, identity and feminism. Bodily engagement and a sense of collaborating with materials is key to the unfolding of her ideas and processes. 

In particular, we discuss her project 'What it is to be there.' 

Helen writes: "There is an area of ground in the Garw Valley, South Wales, next to a coal mine and school, neither of which exist today. Working at the site of my baby’s grave has led to a forensic and spiritual connection with the earth and a bodily understanding of maternal and grief narratives." 

https://www.helenacklam.com/projects/what-it-is-to-be-there/ 

She has participated in exhibitions, collaborations and residencies in London, Sussex, the South West and Wales. 

She is actively engaged in creating opportunities for artists to work together in Bristol. In 2016 she launched The Unit, a temporary gallery project in a shop unit within the St James Arcade, Bristol. Realising that this is an important part of her practice, she set up The Garage (in 2019) – a permanent residency space for collaboration, workshops and experimentation, based in Clifton, Bristol. 

Her work: 

Website: https://www.helenacklam.com/

Email: [email protected] 

Instagram: @h.a.pics 

and also @at_the_garage

Angharad Jenkins is a song-writer, fiddle-player and creative collaborator from Swansea. Described as a ‘musical chameleon,’ she has long worked at the edges of expectations. She’s enjoyed a 15-year career touring the world with multi award-winning Welsh folk band Calan, but since becoming a mother she has discovered her voice. Literally a singing voice, and also words and stories that needed to be told. 

In 2023, she launched her new, alt-pop project under the name ‘Angharad.’ A powerful, and fearless artist, she has been drawing comparisons with the likes of John Cale, PJ Harvey, and Patti Smith. Her music has been played on BBC6 Music, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru, and in October she releases her debut album, ‘Motherland’ on Libertino Records. She has a distinguished career in the folk/roots scene and continues to sing and play fiddle with her long-standing musical companion Patrick Rimes of Calan. She’s a passionate believer in the power of art to change society. So whether playing traditional music on her fiddle, or song-writing, her mission as a musician is to connect with others, open discussion and bring joy.

Website: www.thisisangharad.com

Social media: @thisisangharad

Bandcamp: https://thisisangharad.bandcamp.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisangharad

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisangharad

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisangharad

Dr Deirdre Donoghue & Marlies Phielix

Dr.Deirdre M. Donoghue, PhD, is a mother of two, a birth doula since 2015, and a pregnancy- and postpartum masseuse. She has published on mothers and art, maternal subjectivity, -thinking and -experience, and has developed pedagogical materials on combatting gender inequality and gender-based violence against women through art. Besides her practice as a doula, she is a visual and performance artist. She is currently also working as a researcher and thesis supervisor at the Department of Media and Culture, Utrecht University.  

Marlies Phielix is a mother of three grown up human beings, living in the Netherlands. She is a full time birthdoula since 2011, a pregnancy- and postpartum masseuse and a Spinning Babies®Certified Parent Educator. She is an international doula trainer and co-owner at BiA Doula Training, together with her wonderful colleagues Jennifer Walker and Joyce Hoek Pula. She organises women’s circles in her hometown and she has a special interest in traditional shamanism and north-western European female traditions.

Liminal Spaces is the name of their joint practice bringing together their shamanistic practices with birth work. 

Deirdre

Website: https://doulapraktijkrotterdamzuid.nl

Facebook for doula practice: https://www.facebook.com/doulapraktijkrotterdamzuid/

Instagram general/ personal: https://instagram.com/deirdremdonoghue

Facebook general/ personal: https://www.facebook.com/deirdre.donoghue

Marlies 

website www.doulamarlies.nl 

insta @doulamarlies.

Matthew Appleton is a fully qualified Psychotherapist, and Craniosacral Therapist working in Central Bristol. He delivers and trains in Integrative Baby Therapy (IBT) which acknowledges babies as sensitive and aware beings, who are affected by their birth and womb life. 

Matthew trained extensively with American Pre and Perinatal Educator Karlton Terry. Out of this experience he developed Integrative Baby Therapy, which he teaches to health professionals in the UK and a number of other countries. He is 

also director of Conscious Embodiment Trainings, which, along with the Integrative Baby Therapy Training, runs workshops and courses for adults to explore the consequences of their own womb and birth experience. 

His own training with Buddhist and Shamanic teachers deeply informs his understanding of the relationship between spirituality and physical and psychological well-being.

Website: www.matthew-appleton.co.uk & www.conscious-embodiment.co.uk

Sonia Richards is a scientist, multi-disciplinary therapist, author and singer. She began her career in Obstetrics & Gynaecology and diversified into pathology and genetics. Sonia helped to introduced HypnoBirthing into the UK and was a member of the UK HypnoBirthing Board. She trains integral Eye Movement Techniques (IEMT) and Metaphors of Movement and is a member of the Mental Space Institute, and works with clients in the UK and globally via Zoom. She has recently published the only book on IEMT. In her spare time she loves music, and creative writing, and is currently working on her first novel.

Website: www.soniarichards.com

Book link: Integral Eye Movement Techniques: The Definitive Guide 

Identity Workshop: https://www.integraleyemovement.com/Booking/Workshop/13001fb7-0875-446c-ba4e-147f462742f9

Facebook: Eye Movement Techniques & More - Sonia Rochards, Author, Scientist, Trainer

Mia Scotland, Perinatal Clinical Psychologist and author of two books: "Why Postnatal Depression Matters" and "Birth Shock". Mia has a clinic in Leicester where she provides therapy for people who are struggling and she also  runs online courses for birth professionals on perinatal psychology via Yourbirthright. Her passion is advocating for better care and support for mothers and families in the perinatal period.

Website: www.yourbirthright.co.uk

Book link: Birth Shock: How to recover from birth trauma - why 'at least you've got a healthy baby' isn't enough

Instagram: @mia.scotland

Facebook: @yourbirthright