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About me... Lynne Tarrab-Snooks

I am married and live in South Devon with my wife who is a theatre-maker and visual artist, our baby son and our beloved dog. I am a parent and grandparent who loves gardening, walking, film, theatre, dance and poetry. I am enjoying the creative freedom being retired from full-time work allows me. I love being a 'spiritual friend' accompanying others. I love being able to choose to work with people in ways that are important to us both.

Some details, Lynne Tarrab-Snooks

(formerly Gerlach), M.Sc. Int.Psych. Dip. Int.Psych. B.Ed. (Hons)

I am an independent celebrant, mentor and author. I love life, learning and writing. I am a retired Integrative Psychotherapist and an experienced Consultant in education and health settings. 

I currently offer four different services:

My interest has always been to understand and find meaning by making connections between learning and life, between heart, mind and body.  My work life has been a dance of integration between education, psychotherapy and spiritual exploration.

A little bit more about me

Brought up a Christian, I have a life-long interest in spiritual development. My explorations have included feminist anthropology and matriarchal religions, Vipassana meditation, Hinduism, Jungian analysis, metaphysical writings and poetry, and Mother Meera. I am a long-standing member of the Ridhwan School, 'Diamond Approach' and I work as an Assisting Teacher on Susannah Grover's spiritual retreats in Sweden, the "Ineffable Stream".

I love the teachings of Jesus, Lao Tsu, Chogyam Trungpa and the mystical poets, Rabia, Hafiz and Rumi.

One of my favourite sayings comes from the Viking Rune 'sowelu':

"Seeking after wholeness is the Spiritual warrior's quest.
Become conscious of your essence and bring it into form, express it in a creative way."

I am interested in realisation and actualisation. For me, that means finding ways through the constraints of our personality structures, habits and behaviour patterns to be free to live our love of the truth.

 I wholeheartedly believe in the potential of every human being to bring their unique essence into the world through creativity, compassion and love.

I love the life force and resourcefulness of those who have felt marginalised by majority society. In my human rights work, I was lucky enough to collaborate with Native Americans, Aboriginal people, Palestinians, Jewish people, Tamils and Gypsies/Travellers.

As a woman who identifies as bi-sexual and who lives married to a woman, I know how challenging it can be to live your truth. Sometimes this includes experiencing prejudice and judgment.

I also know how glorious it is to face your fears and to follow your heart's desire: I would wish that freedom for everyone.

My background

Prompted by my own experience of bereavement & loss, I got interested in the connections between mind, heart, body and spirit. I trained and then volunteered as a grief counsellor, working with people affected by cancer, HIV/AIDS and life-limiting conditions. I learned the value of ‘being with’ someone who really listens.

I worked as a consultant and inspector in education for many years specializing in many aspects of emotional wellbeing and equalities issues. 

I become an Integrative Psychotherapist. As Lynne Gerlach, I had a clinical practice in London and in Totnes, Devon for many years. I retired from my clinical practice in 2014. 

During this time, I co-created (with Margot Sunderland and Julia Bird) the first MA in Emotional Literacy for Children at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE) London. Over the years that I worked at IATE, I was a course leader/co-director/ and assessor of a number of M.A. and Diploma trainings. The courses were for people who worked at different levels in education or health care, counsellors and integrative /arts psychotherapists.  

One long-term focus of my work has been training people who work with vulnerable, challenged and/or challenging children and adolescents. I was a Founding Director of, and co-originated, the Thrive Approach ® which is a way of being with others to grow resilience, creativity, empathy, compassion and a healthy sense of self. See www.thriveapproach.co.uk

Publications

Writing is one of my interests. As Lynne Gerlach, I published books on human/minority rights and women’s issues. I was the lead author of Thrive® materials until August 2015. 

• My publications include: (click for more details)

  • Brodie’s Notes on E.M.Forster’s ‘Where Angels Fear to Tread’ pub Pan Study Aids

  • Profile on Prejudice’ pub. Minority Rights Group (MRG) with Nikki van der Gaag

  • ‘Moving On’ A photo-pack resource on Travellers’ rights pub Minority Right Group (MRG) with Nikki van der Gaag

  • ‘Whose Paradise’  pub Minority Rights Group MRG with Stella Hillier

  • ‘Improving the Emotional Heath and Wellbeing of Young People in Secure Care’ published National Children’s Bureau (NCB)/ Sowelu Associates

  • ‘Promoting Emotional and Social Development in Schools A Practical Guide’ pub Paul Chapman / Sage

  • Article: ‘I am a Warthog…’ Diamond Dust magazine of the Diamond Approach

More about my background...

Most recently, I became more aware of the enormous value in reviewing our lives as we age. I experienced the gift of attending some funerals that truly reflected the lives of the deceased people. I want to support others to come to their own or their loved ones’ death in a way that celebrates the glories and challenges of being a full human being. 

• Funeral Celebrancy Training with Greenfuse

I trained as a funeral celebrant with Green Fuse of Buckfastleigh   A long-time practitioner of rituals in my work as a therapist and trainer, I know how valuable the creation of a ritual can be to support us as we face life’s inevitable changes. 

I am a member of the Green Fuse Funeral Celebrants’ Guild and hold professional liability insurance with Balens.

• Human Rights & Educational background:

(1978-1994) I first trained as an English, Drama and Social Studies teacher. I went on to co-create the education project for the Human Rights Group (MRG) with Nikki van der Gaag. We researched and wrote a number of educational resources.

After that, I went back into mainstream education to work as Advisor, then Inspector with responsibility for Equal Opportunities, Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship and Multi-cultural Education for Richmond-upon Thames local education authority. During this time, I became an OFSTED inspector. 

• Educational Consultancy:

I was invited to become an Education Consultant for the:

  • International School Effectiveness and Improvement Centre (ISEIC) Institute of Education, London University

  • Centre for Education Leadership and School Improvement (CELSI), Christ Church University, Canterbury. 

I worked on national and international projects in these roles.

Counselling & Emotional Literacy

I first got interested in the connections between mind, body and spirit when my grandmother died.  I went into counselling and found it so helpful that I trained as a bereavement counsellor with Cruse bereavement services in Kew, London. 

more...

I gained more qualifications as a Counsellor. Alongside my work in education, I volunteered as a counsellor, working for some years with young people and adults who were experiencing bereavement, life-limiting conditions, cancer (BACUP) and/or HIV/AIDS (1983-1990).

Integrative  Psychotherapy

 

• Trained by Metanoia

I then trained at the metanoia Institute, London, to become an Integrative Psychotherapist (1999). 
Together with Julia Bird, I was the Director of the Certificate in Emotional Literacy for Children at the Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE).  

• MA in Emotional Literacy

I was the Director of the first M.A. Emotional Literacy for Children in the UK. During my time at IATE, I worked in a variety of roles on a number of courses:

  • Co-Director Integrative Arts Psychotherapy with Chris Rowan

  • Sessional tutor and assessor for the MA Integrative Arts Psychotherapy for Children.

  • I was a regular keynote speaker at wellbeing and mental health conferences run by the Centre for Child Mental Health, London.

I had a clinical practice as an Integrative Psychotherapist in Richmond, London and then in Plymouth and Totnes in Devon. 

I integrate story, mark-making, creativity and movement in my approach.

 

Working with Young People

I am passionate about learning and love working to support those children and young people who are sometimes termed ‘vulnerable and challenging’. I believe in supporting all children to access to their unique potential.

• Thrive & CMAS:

  • I was a Founding Director of Fronting The Challenge Projects Ltd. and one of the co-originators of ENABLE that became the Thrive Approach®.

  • I was lead author of the Thrive® training materials until 2015, including ThriveOnline®, the assessment and action-planning program that is widely used in schools and health-care settings.

  • I recently worked as a Consultant and Trainer with CMAS (Community Mentoring & Support) to develop a new approach for working effectively with ‘at risk’ and/or excluded adolescents.

  • I am delighted to report that, with my Consultancy support, CMAS Gloucester have just opened a new independent school, (February 2019).