About Be you wellbeing
Our Vision
At Be You Wellbeing, we believe in empowering individuals to take charge of their own health and wellbeing.
Our mission is to provide support and resources that inspire and sustain wellbeing for personal growth and healing through deepening connections to self, with others, community and the world around us.
About me
I don't profess to be a wellbeing expert.
But, I worked as a Mental Health Nurse for 14 years, with people who were experiencing a wide range of mental health issues from anxiety, depression and stress, to trauma and serious mental illness, supporting them and their families during their recovery. I was the wellbeing lead for my team and a trained Wellbeing Practitioner. I have a degree in Psychology, I trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Systemic Family Interventions, I have a PTTLS (Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Sector) in Teaching .
I will also share that I have been on my own journey of recovery from childhood trauma of sexual abuse, to physical health issues (ME/CFS) as well as the menopause. Through these sometimes awful and distressing experiences, I have felt loss, sadness, fear, confusion, anger, grief, physical pain and suffering ever changing unexplainable weird symptoms...and also great joy, peace, clarity and creativity. In no longer being able to work daily, I was given the gift of time and space and this enabled me to explore many aspects of my own wellbeing.
I have discovered the beauty of slowing down, of stillness, presence, self compassion, creativity and so much gratitude for the things that I DO have in my life. Having supportive relationships, a wonderful partner, two loving daughters and lasting friendships has impressed upon me the benefits of sisterhood and community and sharing our experiences and skills and BEing with each other.
Over the past six years, I have learnt about what was holding me back, found simple ways (but not always easy) of really growing into myself. When I began to drop the limitations of my upbringing, (just one example), I found so much freedom.
Living with ME/CFS for all that time was a trial, for sure, but during that time, I researched how to be well, I spent hours and hours whenever I could searching for and practising every way I could think of. Believe me, I've done the hours and the proof is in the pudding as they say. I am now well. I realised early on in my recovery that in spite of the losses, I still had so much. I am blessed to have so many resources, skills and knowledge and I want to share these with others, with YOU.
About you
You are the expert, you know what to do, its just that sometimes you need a helping hand. You are a beautiful and shining diamond, full of many facets, including flaws, (limiting values, or beliefs, often imposed upon us by others, or society).
We see you and we invite you to step into the world of Be You Wellbeing and BE YOU.
humble beginnings
Our Story
The Be You Wellbeing retreats evolved from a desire to spend more time hanging out with my amazing girlfriends! Its as simple as that. I have always loved hosting parties and I love bringing friends together, sharing the joys and the laughter...sometimes the tears.
However, when I became unwell, I simply couldn't tolerate being the 'hostess with the mostess' any more. The fluctuating symptoms and energy levels meant I couldn't return to work, but I didn't want to waste my years of nursing skills and knowledge. After Covid there was an understandable resurgence into wellbeing, and I was aware that I had a lot of incredible people around me offering healing in various forms, mostly women, so the idea for retreats was born.
I would not have been able to do this at all, if it weren't for my daughter Abbie, also ex M H Nurse, due to her own health issues. We were a great team. Sadly for us, but great for her, she's taking time out at the moment as she has a little baby.
What we do
At the retreats, held in Pulborough, West Sussex, we use a mix of psychoeducation, like sleep and stress management, and immersive workshops such as creative writing and laughter therapy. Its not all learning though, we include activities such as gloriously relaxing sound baths, massage, and crafting from nature, dreamcatchers, flower mandalas and wreaths as well as mindful walking and hanging out in the woodfired sauna, cold plunge or hot tub.
These are designed to raise self awareness, generate ideas, conversation and connection, whilst providing a safe, compassionate and fun atmosphere to explore our wellbeing.
We also make a place for celebrating all that we do to look after ourselves in our busy lives.
Between retreats we also offer small group versions, which are held in nature, in beautiful ancient woodland and at 'The Love Shack' in Arundel.
Connection, community and collaboration are paramount throughout.
Be You
The name Be You is a reminder to us all to slow down and BE, but more than that it is a shout to us all being our true authentic selves; to drop the imposed limitations in the form of values and belief systems, to drop the people pleasing, the perfectionism, listening to that inner critic, the caring so much about what others think, comparing or competing and simply BE ourselves, the shining diamond that we are.