Connections Training & Therapy

17/10/2025

I am preparing to come back in 2026, and I will be posting on here more frequently after my head has been stuck in research for 3 years! This week I was on BBC2 sharing a bit of my story. This underpins the transformation I aim to support for many people: your 'can't' becomes your 'can'. It does not have to become Everest, or the Channel: we all have our own goals and mini mountains to overcome:

Presenter Rolf Choutan looks at the role of sport within the deaf community.

28/02/2025

28 February is and I have written a blog about my experience here with Menieres Disease (temporary link also in bio / find via the blogs on the main website): https://connectionstrainingtherapy.co.uk/post/living-with-a-rare-disease

Whilst it may seem there are many of us, it is unusual to find anyone who has walked the same journey, which is often fraught with difficulties in diagnosis, support and more:

300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease. Rare diseases currently affect 5% of the worldwide population. Collectively the number of people living with a rare disease is equivalent to the population of the world's 3rd largest country.

There are 6000+ identified rare diseases. 70% of genetic rare diseases start in childhood. Equity means fair access to diagnosis, treatment, care and opportunities.

rarediseaseday.org

20/06/2024

Things happen in life that become life changing moments, for good or bad. This was one of my great, unexpected moments 3 years ago! Shared on Facebook, I realised I had been pictured with 5 dolphins in Sunderland when training for a solo channel swim in the pandemic. It led to the most amazing PR for fundraising for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People 🐕‍🦺 🐬 🐬 🐬 🐬 🐬 🌊 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 🏊‍♀️

06/06/2024

Enjoyed teaching the Mindfulness Bootcamp yesterday, with the most exciting opportunity being the range of communication in the session: British Sign Language (BSL), Hands-On BSL (for deafblind participants) and lip-reading/captions.
Access to wellbeing is SO important!🥰💪

24/05/2024

After looking for a room to run groups in a tranquil setting, I am SO excited to have found Pear Tree Studio at Physio 42 in Richmond.

I LOVED running face-to-face groups and workshops pre-pandemic in my third-sector job and the NHS to improve our mind-body well-being. Now I would appreciate YOUR help deciding which groups to trial first in the community, and the best times. I know it will take some experimenting! Comment below with your thoughts:

Times available:
Monday afternoons and evenings,
Saturdays (workshop style)
Groups/Workshops:
Mindfulness (fundamentals and advanced)
MindFitness
Mindful & Intuitive Eating
Wide Asleep
Write Your Self (introductory and advanced)
Learning to live well with....
Hidden Noise (tinnitus management)
Connected Parenting and Growth
Compassionate Resilience for Carers

For more information on any of the above or for organisations interested, please see:

https://connectionstrainingtherapy.co.uk/resources

10/05/2024

06/05/2024

😢 read the post for the full story on how this Royal Navy veteran found life again with his Hearing Dog 🐾

When ex-Navy veteran, Deryck, lost his wife during the pandemic, he was plunged into a very dark and lonely place.

The day before what would have been their 46th wedding anniversary, he met his hearing dog, Elroy. Now, Deryck’s best friend is always there for him.

03/05/2024

One of the most common issues I see for people who are new to wearing hearing aids is… they do not like wearing them. It takes practice to advocate for yourself, and it is very much needed to help your communication, involvement and inclusion! I like the opportunity shared here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/TxpZhJi9jLeZMAqP/?mibextid=WC7FNe

The countdown to our next Helpful Hour has begun! ⏰

This session will take place on Thursday 16th May and will run from 11am-12pm.

Our helpful session will cover the topic of “How to get the most from your audiology appointment”

If you’ve never attended an audiology appointment before and want to know what to expect, or maybe you’re due a revisit and are feeling anxious, then this session is for you!

You may also find it useful if you work in health or social care sectors to update your knowledge on the subject.

We will give you useful advice and tips on how to manage your appointment so that you can get the most from it.

These sessions are designed and ran by our peer support volunteers, who have lived experience of hearing loss. They understand how daunting it can feel to attend medical appointments when you have a hearing loss.

To secure your place, follow this link 👇
f62ff05e-3b59-43db-9278-82d7fcd1bbf2@2725cfe8-a267-4144-afdf-4cac42c3d610" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/f62ff05e-3b59-43db-9278-82d7fcd1bbf2@2725cfe8-a267-4144-afdf-4cac42c3d610

23/12/2023

Remember your friends & relatives who are losing their hearing, deafened, Deaf or otherwise. One of the best & free gifts you can give is to include them 🥰

I still remember my Grandmother’s awkward attempts to include herself in the conversation she was missing, realising she did not have the skills to deal with this ‘syndrome’ that I had to manage over the years.

08/12/2023

A primary school has become one of the first to add British Sign Language to its curriculum - and teachers say the children love it.

Elm Tree Primary Academy, in Lowestoft, Suffolk, has decided to replace French and Spanish lessons with basic BSL tutoring.

-These children will learn amazing skills that will help them connect and communicate with so many people in this country, who are often left behind. It will have no detrimental impact on their second language learning for secondary school, because it is a language in itself and they will be learning skills that will help them bridge gaps in culture and language! BSL is being introduced as a GCSE subject from 2025.

Elm Tree Primary Academy in Lowestoft was inspired by a former student to put British Sign Language on its curriculum. | ITV News Anglia

31/10/2023

A nice little story of how a football club has included sign language in a recent match, and you will see where the sign for ‘Albania’ comes from and a link to a website for some more tips to learn at the end