Our Story
Graduate in Drama (Ted) and Dance (Laura). Gain postgraduate qualifications. Specific career plans remain elusive.
Meet at work – teaching in Manchester. Laura completes MA, Ted continues drumming in punk and 2-tone bands. Refuse to accept middle age before an adventure…
Move to Vietnam. Teach English. Fall in love with South East Asia. Find ‘life’ on the streets of Hanoi with a 125cc moped. Fail to resist the pull of the adult. Return to ‘proper’ teaching.
Laura qualifies in Pregnancy Yoga. Move to a British International School in China. Managed to order minced beef in Mandarin (once). Get lost a lot. Find joy in learning from other cultures.
Back to the UK. Start a family. Laura builds a yoga community for new parents. Ted teaches Drama. Realise the adventurous side hasn’t disappeared. Sell possessions and…
Move to Malaysia to International Boarding School. COVID happens. Borders close.
Return to UK and Suffolk. Ted teaches and housemasters in boarding school. Laura teaches and facilitates in children’s homes, SEND provisions and Mental Health services. Accept we’ve burnt out. Ted exhausted and isolated; Laura fatigued from chronic pain. Deep dive into self-discovery. Ted finds brotherhood and clarity of purpose through men’s work. Laura deepens practice through Embodiment Coaching and meditation.
Soul searching becomes conversation, reveals purpose, which becomes a mission. The Affinity Project is born.
Laura’s Experience
- Embodiment Coaching: Certificate in Embodiment Coaching – ICF accredited course, Embodiment Unlimited, London and online
- Wellbeing Coaching: Vital Signs Training and Consultancy Ltd
- iRest Level 1 Meditation Teacher Training: in-person training with James Reeves, Cotswolds
- 280 hour Diploma in Perinatal and Community Yoga: Birthlight, Italy
- BA: Dance and Culture, University of Surrey
- MA: Gender, Sexuality and Culture, University of Manchester
- PGDE: 15 years as Teacher, Facilitator and Mental Health Coach
- CELTA: Teaching English as a Second Language, Vietnam
- Movement, Ground and Bones MA module: University of Central Lancashire
- Certificate in Emotional Anatomy: Cambridge Institute for Body Psychotherapy, Cambridge
CPD
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- Transparent Communication Training with Thomas Hübl
- Mental Health Toolkit training, Mind UK
- Heartlands – 3 day workshop with Miranda Tufnell (Movement Educator and Craniosacral Therapist) exploring the anatomy and embryology of the heart through movement
- Various online workshops with Dylan Newcomb, creator of UZAZU Embodied Intelligence
- Building Secure Attachment through an IFS Lens with Dr Richard Schwarz through NICABM
- Relational & Developmental Trauma Awareness 3-Day Training with Dr Karen Treisman
- Identifying Trauma at Assessment: Psychological Professionals’ Development Hub
- Vicarious Trauma: NHS – Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys
Ted’s Experience
- Therapeutic Coach (Optimum Health Clinic / Alex Howard): NLP, Hypnotherapy, EFT, Developmental Psychology, Life Coaching and Mindfulness (completing in 2026)
- EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Level 1: EFT International
- BA: Drama, University of Manchester
- PGCE: 20 Years experience as Teacher, Department Leader, Director, Tutor and Housemaster
- Post Graduate Diploma: Writing for Performance – Arden School of Theatre, Manchester
- CELTA: Teaching English as a Second Language, Vietnam
CPD
- Building Secure Attachment through an IFS Lens with Dr Richard Schwarz through NICABM
- Coaching in Education, Addressing the Need for Deep Communication, Future Learn
- Mental Health First Aid, Mind UK
