HELLO!

I'm Joshua

An LGBTQIA+ Therapist, Life Coach, Sea Lover and full-time Beach Bum based in Teignmouth, South Devon.

I wanted to share with you a little bit of my personal history, how I developed my practice and what has led me to walk my current life path.

In my early teen years I lived for the theatre; singing, acting and dancing my way through life. As I approached my adult years and the ever looming need for consistent finances I eventually settled for the 9-5 of customer service and corporate roles.

Through my late teens I moved through several management roles, working in clubs and bars, department-store chains and spent most of my early twenties as a successful Trainer and Business Manager for a large, well known cosmetics company.

I'd also always had an interest in the metaphysical, strange and out of this world. Whether it be paranormal, spiritual or even witchcraft. A world that was introduced to me when I was very young but had never truly made an impact in my life until I found myself at 'The Healing Festival' in Highbridge many years ago.

Over time I dived deeper, leaning into this feeling that I was being drawn into this world. I learned how to incorporate meditation into my daily life, I went through mindfulness coaching and became attuned to different healing modalities.
I even began using meditation and mindfulness exercises with staff during brand training and company meetings.

This eventually led me to training as a Life Coach and I took a leap opening a space in my home office to offer holistic services to clients part-time while I navigated the corporate world.

While shifting my focus to more in-depth therapies and techniques I re-trained and began the journey to becoming a psychotherapist.

What's the deal with the teal?

I grew up on the coast, right on the border of Devon and Cornwall.
Most weekends or holidays were spent with family and friends at local beaches, on a coastal walk or swimming in the city's Lido.

I was a 'water baby'.
I would willingly spend hours in the Sea if I could; swimming, body boarding, surfing (badly) I would try it all.
When abroad I couldn't wait to snorkel or rent a boat and get out into the blue. The natural world inspired me and the sea had always felt like home.

As I got older, that child-like joy had faded. I still lived on the coast, but spent less and less time at the water's edge as life shifted and changed.

5 or so years ago life had gotten overwhelming.
I was trying to balance my business with a full time job, attempting to network and collaborate all the while putting the needs of others before my own.
It was at this time I was also having issues with a pre-existing health condition that had knocked me side-ways and I sorely needed a break.
There was just no spark left in me and I burned out.

During the end of one summer, a friend offered me to join them camping on the Cornish coast. Time by the sea felt like it was needed, so my partner and I set off for a long-weekend of BBQ's, beaches and body-boards.
As with all trips, my tarot cards and notebook came with me and whilst there I decided to gather them up along with my wetsuit and a book in the early morning hours and headed down to one of my favourite beaches, alone.

The book I might add was 'Blue Mind' by Dr Wallace. J. Nicholls.
Explaining the healing benefits of blue spaces and the deeply emotional and spiritual connection humans have with the sea.

With the peachy hues of sunrise peaking over the cliffs, I looked out to the wild west-Cornwall surf and started thinking over my health, my clients and the life I wanted to live. Pulling a few cards and folding the corner of my current page I wondered how I was going to get myself back on track.

Three sentences kept swirling around in my head...

The Sea had always felt like home.
The Sea had always inspired me.
The Sea was what I was missing.

If I was going to do this right, if I was going to be healthier, physically, emotionally and spiritually. If I was going to help others on their own journeys.
If I was going to embrace my authentic-self, the sea had to be part of it.

It was here I found the inspiration for 'Tides & Tarot'.
Marrying my connection with the coast to my connection with others.

Riding the waves...

I am an accredited Life and Business Coach, Trauma Informed Practitioner and Therapist.

I have experience working with:

Stress and anxiety management
Adult ADHD/ADD coaching
LGBTQIA+ mental and physical health
Bereavement
Self esteem and confidence building
Management modelling
Solution Focused Therapy
Personal development coaching

I have studied Blue Mind practices and techniques which have lead me to develop mindfulness sessions with local businesses that include taking time by the coast or local blue spaces.
I continue to study Psychotherapeutic Counselling and regularly conduct further research.

I use all of these skills and tools along with multiple holistic practices, Tarot Readings and monthly meditation workshops on the beach to help people 'ride the waves of life'.