My name is Sarah Howard, and seeing as I’m a human being, I’m on my own journey too! The support and witnessing of people who have guided me along my way, with compassion and honesty, have been a great support along my way – a path into liveliness, love and energy which is hopefully as long as my life. I love this path, even if it’s not always easy (as the poet Rilke says, the important things usually aren’t!). I also love guiding and accompanying people on their paths, in the most playful, loving, curious and effective way I can.
The unfolding thread of my career path so far has been an interest in the sparkle in people’s eyes. Searching for what I wanted to ‘do’ in life, I started out as a volunteer, working with music, singing and laughter in old people’s homes, in psychiatric units and with children; I then trained as a music therapist, supporting people to express what there was no words for as wild-gentle spontaneous songs and rhythms; then, getting more and more curious about our expressive container bodies, I trained to give individual body work sessions where we worked on psychosomatic symptoms and winning back life-energy and confidence to invest in passions and projects instead of muscle tension.
When I encountered Gestalt therapy and then IFS, I felt as though I had found my home, as both invite compassionate awareness of and connection with our moment-to-moment experience as it is, via whichever channel it shows up through. So today, I give individual sessions which weave together primarily Gestalt and inner parts work (IFS), but are also very much informed by my interest in creative expression and somatic awareness; I also lead intensive personal development workshops where I have the privilege of witnessing people as the sparkle in their eye gets stronger day by day. I love constantly developing my practice and thinking around humans, body, emotion and creativity, collecting new inspiration, and combining all I have learned and practised during my journey so far in order to find a way of working which is inspiring and senseful to me. That makes my eyes sparkle!
I also have a deep friendship with music, singing and playing, as well as lots of other forms of authentic expression. I love dancing, drawing, gardening, cooking and writing – sometimes for the joyful process, sometimes for the satisfaction with the product. I am especially touched by and engaged with themes surrounding the environment, justice and future-considerate systems and concepts, and believe that healing on all levels is needed at this time more than ever before. Having grown up in England, I love to spend time on the coast and in wild green landscapes. Having lived in Germany for over a decade before moving back to the UK, I feel equally at home speaking English and German. I currently live in Devon with my partner and daughter.
Overview of my Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, Music and German (1998 – 2002)
- Post-graduate Diploma in Music Therapy (2004 – 2005)
- Foundation Course in Dance Movement Therapy (2005 – 2006)
- Training in Somatic Bodywork (Grinberg Method), Levels I and II (2009 – 2012)
- Short courses in Ecopsychology and Authentic Movement in Natural Settings (2012 – 2014)
- Training in Gestalt-based theatre processes to facilitate “The Hero’s Journey” Workshop by Paul Rebillot (2015)
- Training in Gestalt Therapy (2016 – 2019)
- Training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Levels I, II and III (2019 – 2025) including further training in Somatic IFS (2021) and Trauma and Neuroscience (2021).
The Courageous Journey of Being Yourself 