SERVICES FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS:  • Lecturing • Supervision

Ruth is the former Head of Education and Senior Psychotherapist at the internationally renowned Penny Brohn Cancer Care organisation (formerly known as the Bristol Cancer Help Centre and home of the ‘Bristol Approach’). Ruth is also Visiting Academic at the Peninsula Medical School, Exeter, Thames Valley University and the University of the West of England.

The focus of Ruth’s work has been clinical practice, teaching, writing and research. As an Integrative Psychotherapist working from a transpersonal approach, Ruth includes various forms of relaxation – in particular Autogenic Training, contemplation/insight meditation and creative imagery (visualisation) within her private practice. Ruth is also a qualified teacher and she has worked within the National Health Service and extensively with the major national cancer charities. She has held posts of lecturer in mainstream cancer care and palliative care at the Royal Marsden Hospital; Macmillan Cancer Relief and Maria Curie Cancer Care.

Her experience of working in this field motivated her to understand the importance of supporting healthcare professionals to explore the interaction between their professional lives and personal needs, with an emphasis on self-care, confronting occupational stress and burnout and the role of stress management, the importance of professional supervision and use of on-going reflective practice for their own well-being.

Ruth frequently facilitates and presents at conferences, seminars and workshops on a range of topics around breast cancer, cancer care, integrative care, palliative care and psycho-neuro-immunlogy (PNI) within both the UK and Internationally. She has appeared on television and radio and publishes in a range of professional and academic journals on psycho-neuro-immunology, stress management, burnout and spirituality in oncology and palliative care. Ruth currently serves on the Editorial Boards of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Spirituality and Health International and the International Journal of Healing and Caring.

Ruth completed her PhD (2005) which explored women’s psychological and emotional responses to primary breast cancer and it treatment. The voices and wisdom of the woman who generously shared the affects of their experiences, along with other clients that Ruth has worked with, will soon appear in a book.

Having a strong belief that the sharing of information is fundamental to achieving change, Ruth is committed to supported colleagues and clients in finding their ways to achieve optimum and holistic levels of health and wellbeing.