OUR FOUNDER
gemma brady
Gemma is a documentary maker, creative mentor and founder of Sister Stories. She has dedicated her life to creating spaces for people to tell important stories, be it on film, in writing or in their community. She believes in the healing power of storytelling and the power of the generous acts of both speaking and offering deep listening. Her 10 year career in has seen her creating award winning content across a variety of media from documentaries to video games. A former Commissioning Editor working across Channel 4’s public service content for teenagers & a freelance documentary maker working on some of the most popular sensitive series on television, she has helped hundreds of individuals tell their most intimate, moving stories. She is a trained Life Coach, Narrative Therapist and HeartMath Coach.
In 2017, Gemma created Sister Stories as a means of offering women an opportunity to come together and experience the transformative power of being seen and heard. Grounded in the primal and magical traditional of storytelling, Sister Stories events invite women to depend their sense of connection to the self and one another, experiencing the simple joy of knowing we are all in it together. What started as a simple women's circle gathering in London has grown to a thriving, supportive movement women leading Sister Stories gatherings internationally, from small in person gatherings to workshops offered to hundreds of women for clients such as Google.
sister stories facilitator training alumni
At the heart of Sister Stories’ mission is a desire to create a global network of skilled facilitators who bring their intuitive gifts, empathy and heart to Circle offerings. Here are some of the wonderful Facilitators who have emerged from our signature training programme.
Priya Shah - High Barnet, North London
Priya spent over 10 years working in the Finance Industry before making a decision to leave and turn to wellness. She now supports people to connect to their bodies and become aware of their authentic self, sharing the various tools she uses in order to live a balanced life.
Being a Sister Stories facilitator is an extension of the work she now does. She believes that holding presence and space for each other is a gift.
Holly June Smith - Hertfordshire
Holly is a life coach, celebrant, and speaker who helps people make positive changes that stick. She was drawn to Sister Stories because she craved connection in a world where technology often leaves us feeling more disconnected from both ourselves and each other.
Andrea Bate-Boyle - South London
Andrea is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and has lived in London for the past 10 years. Currently working as a documentary maker, she thrives on listening and telling others’ stories with compassion.
Yearning for stillness and connection in a busy city has drawn her to the work of carving out that sacred space for herself and other women.
Allanah Langstaff - Edinburgh & Glasgow
Allanah is a TV producer, writer, and yin yoga teacher living in Edinburgh. Her work has allowed her to tell stories about the natural world, the joy of experiencing it, and the importance of preserving it. She believes the simple power of listening to others, and in turn, allowing yourself to be listened to can be transformative. She welcomes you to come in to the circle, and allow your edges to soften.
Stella Mcleod Mckenna - Sheffield
Stella is a daughter, a partner, a friend and a coach. An avid people watcher, story gatherer and adventure seeker. She loves to travel, to make new friends and to listen to the world around her.
She discovered Sister Stories as part of a personal journey to seek out and cultivate more strong female connections in her life. After attending circles in London, she felt called to hold this magical space for women in other parts of the UK and further afield.
Sagina Shabaya - South London
Sagina is a career coach, workshop facilitator, speaker and new mother. She lives in South London and holds circles for new mothers.
She believes it is so important that we create spaces for women to come together and just be themselves. There is so much happening in our hectic lives, but that Sister Stories circles have the power to be a sanctuary for women.
Lynette Greenaway - Reading
Lynette has been practising yoga for over 15 years and teaching for 8 years. She has listened to all of the divine tugs of her heart to create a vehicle and a space where women can come together in circle as support for collective healing and sitting as peers in a safe space.
Lynette holds space that allows women to breathe, be curious, speak or be silent, without suffocation or judgement, spaces that rise to a much higher standard of support, love and encouragement than what we experience in the news, on social media, workspaces and on TV.
Lynette believes that being in circle offers up so much clarity in this time of great shifting in our world.
Jenny Isaac - Richmond, London
Jenny is an Executive Coach helping others grow into their potential and a lover of nature and life living in Richmond, London.
Jenny is part of Sister Stories for many intertwining reasons: to help women come together and be themselves without expectation; to explore the stories they and others tell about themselves; to see and step into their light and power; to feel more connected and to build a better world for women. "In stepping into our own light and power we create the space for other women to do the same.
Bryony Dowson & Penny Lee- Lincoln
Bryony is an acupuncturist and healer with a lifelong dedication to empowering women and lighting the future. Penny is a woman of the earth, creating islands of sanity in a chaotic world through facilitation, coaching and Shambala warriorship. Together they are a daughter and mother combo leading circles in and around the Lincoln area of Lincolnshire.
Magali Swift- Dunlow, Essex
Magali is a warn and adventurous soul. Having spent most of her childhood and teens travelling, she has always yearned for roots, connection, and that sense of belonging. She believes in the power of being heard and witnessed through this rollercoaster that is life. With a big heart and smile, Magali invites women into her home to share a safe space where judgement is left outside. She also makes a great cup of tea and will always provide biscuits!
Ellie McGowan- Surrey & Sussex
Ellie is a charity manager, voluntary sector leader, facilitator and singer. She is hugely passionate about the power of community and the magic that happens when people come together with a shared purpose.
Ellie felt a pull to lead Sister Stories in a effort to foster and nurture more connection amongst women, in an increasingly faced paced and isolating world.
Ellie strongly believes in all voices being heard (no matter how loud or quiet) and that deep listening without agenda or offering of advice, allows us to soften our hearts and grow compassion for others - as well as learn to be a little kinder to ourselves.
Ann-Mari Freebairn- Islington
Ann-Mari is a professional coach, facilitator and founder of Young Women for Change UK which makes affordable coaching available to young women. A lover of literature with previous careers in teaching and communications, listening and telling stories has always been an integral part of her personal and professional life.
Discovering Sister Stories was a profound experience of coming home to herself. She’s now excited to offer that same opportunity to other women looking for safe and supportive spaces to come together, to share and be seen in all of their messiness and magnificence!
Cherrelle Harroo- Walkley, Sheffield
Cherrelle's way in the world is led by her passion for meaning making, soulful connections and creativity.
New to the north, in a beautiful Yorkshire city, Cherrelle is re-rooting within; exploring the richness of her own story and value of womanhood.
With a warm and willing heart she creates spaces for women to connect in stillness, truth and acceptance.
Lauren de Vere - North West London
Lauren was born in the 1960’s. Maybe arriving into the world at that time and in the midst of such cultural shifts gave her the gift of having an eclectic nature, and maybe that’s just who she is. Whatever the cause, she loves and appreciates life and love in all its forms, both beautiful and messy and everything in between.
Her bigger vision is to make life juicier for all women through connection in a supportive way, and Sister Stories is very much part and parcel of that vision. She’s come to understand that sitting in circle allows women to be seen, heard and understood without judgment. Its sacred power ripples out way beyond the circle itself.
Sister Stories is the difference that makes the difference. All women are very much welcome to come and experience the magic of that healing space, and Lauren looks forward to meeting you there.
Samanta Chaitoo – Suffolk
Samanta is a Textile Artist and Illustrator. After starting her journey in Trinidad, her travelling heart finally set roots in the wilderness of Suffolk. Wanting to inspire connection and creativity in her community, she created Fox Yard Studio, a space where people can be themselves and find their own sense of belonging.
The idea of storytelling has always made her feel safe and held, taking her back to a simpler time when tales danced around the flames of a fire, igniting intrigue. With Sister Stories, she hopes to provide a space where we can listen with an open heart and embrace our stories.
Nina Chesworth- Manchester
Nina is a blind mother, creative and holistic therapist. She began on a path of self discovery and inner work, after losing her sight completely. It seems fate guided her path which has lead to amazing connection, support and magic. It has been a long journey getting to this point in her life she believes that women have an inner light and it is important to give voice to what they may hold. She wants to help women as she has been helped, sharing the heeling and magic.
Chamiah Gouldbourne-
Chamiah is a recipe developer and plantbased chef for women's health and wellness retreats. Her journey of self expression has often been a private one; but through her work and the nourishing space of circle, she has witnessed the transformative magic that takes hold of women, when they are given safe spaces. And discovered for herself, the power of a story told. Her approach is calm, curious and gentle; rooted always in the belief, that every woman is a patchwork of stories just waiting to be voiced. And that with every share we edge a little closer to realising how deeply connected we truly are.
Ally Kingston- London
A lover of language, poetry and myth, Ally firmly believes that the stories we tell can be vehicles for personal and collective transformation. For the past decade, Ally has worked in brand strategy, but a growing interest in climate issues led her to explore more soulful, heart-centred forms of storytelling with Sister Stories. A graduate of the “Zoom age”, Ally's looking forward to one day hosting circles in her local North London.
Bethan Axford - Oxford
Bethan’s two great loves are story and making objects. For her these elements are key components of human existence. To make things and to tell stories are ways humans have always used to understand our place in the world, and through that to make a path for the way we want to shape our future. That is the core of her work in the world, as an architect, potter, sewer and human, nowhere more so than with Story Talisman, where she weaves her client’s stories into sacred objects to be markers for their life’s transitions.
Bethan trained with Sister Stories to deepen her personal relationship and understanding of the importance of owning our stories, and to be able to take understanding into the world to help other women to understand it too.
Charlotte Sarre- South London
Charlotte is a mother, a mentor to teen girls and a women’s circle facilitator.
Sitting in circle has been a massive part of her own personal development and healing journey and in her ‘Spiral-In’ circles (@_spiral.in), she offers a safe spacewhere women can explore what it means to be their authentic self, without fear of judgement or comparison..
Clare Proudfoot- London
Clare holds nourishing and regulatory spaces for Women to connect to a deeper sense of wholeness and calm through embodied movement, breath-work, restorative yoga and facilitated sharing. Clare’s teaching and facilitation is nervous system informed and often infused with tips and techniques for how to bring regulation into daily life in doable and sustainable ways.
Clare has always felt a deep connection to the healing and compassion that can come from sharing stories and is passionate about holding circles that feel accessible and restorative.
Eszter Bove
I am a mother of two daughters and an IBCLC lactation consultant, with 10 years of experience running mothers' groups, supporting families, and building community with great feedback and lovely results.
In Connected Mothers' Circles, I bring together all my experience as a space holder in mothers communities, my 13 years of mothering two daughters and my previous professional experience as a primary school teacher.
Matrescence is the process of ‘the birth of a mother’. Similarly to adolescence, it can take years and it is not a linear process. It comes with us completely ‘rearranging our nervous system’ and developing skills and abilities, emotions and social needs… it’s deep. And can be lonely at times.
Come to Connected Mothers’ Circle to be seen. To be heard. To cry those un-cried tears. To laugh the unspent laughter. To be with yourself and others in an unhurried way that may not exist anywhere else in your life.
We can be each other’s matrescence doulas’ in this space.
Becky Jackson
Leicestershire & Derbyshire
Becky is a mother and holistic therapist. She discovered Sister Stories after embarking on her own inner healing journey. She has always felt the call to support and help others, and creating a space for women where belonging, acceptance and no judgment is of the essence was her vision. Alongside her passion for story telling, poetry and writing, her Circle journey has been deeply transformative. “In Circle we tend to our embers to light the fires within us” is how Becky’s heart spoke to her. She’s passionate about creating a space that feels like stepping into another realm, a place of sacred sanctuary that feels nurturing for the soul, offers a warming depth and a connective element that we can find within ourselves, as well as resonance with others through gathering in this special way with Circle.
Helen Williams - York
Helen is a life coach, trainer consultant for Young Minds, workshop facilitator and carer. She first participated in Sister Stories in March 2018 and is now passionate about making this transformative experience available to women in West London.
Christine Chang Hanway - Swiss Cottage, London
Christine is forever curious about people and their stories. So much so that she started Fabulous Fabsters to encourage women who are FAB — Fifty And Beyond — to share their life experiences. She felt they had much to impart that might teach and inspire others and she was right!
A lapsed architect, she has recently certified as a health coach. By encouraging women to understand why they do what they do, she channels her inner anthropologist and helps them make the sustainable changes they need to live their own empowered lives. As a Sister Story facilitator, she dreams of integrating the magic of Circles into as many women’s lives as possible.
Rachael Rafferty- Essex
Lucky enough to have spent the majority of her career teaching and being taught by three and four year olds, Rachael understands the power of listening to and telling stories. As a child herself, Rachael did not speak until she was almost four years old and has always treasured the delicate tension between stillness and expression. Now skilled in diverse methods of communication, Rachael has often been told that her kindness and empathetic nature help people to feel safe in articulating their thoughts and feelings in her presence. Valuing connection and community, Rachael loves to gather with others and discover the similarities and differences that exist in all of us and our experiences of the world.
Ellie Dobbie- Clapham
Ellie is a graphic designer, design teacher and yoga teacher. She loves to travel, play and meet new friends.In her search for more connection and presents in a bustling city, she came across Sister Stories and knew instantly that this was the medicine she wanted to share. Ellie believes that circles are sacred spaces to share from the heart and be heard from the heart.
Amelia Donkor- Streatham
Amelia is an actor, maker, yogi and facilitator. A career in the theatre has been a spring board for storytelling but it’s in circle with other women she feels tender connection and authenticity. Amelia’s approach is with simplicity and warmth, and a deep belief that every woman should be heard.
Jennifer Carr- Barcelona
Jennifer works as a scriptwriter and nutrition coach in Barcelona, Spain. Having lived in Colombia, New Zealand, Australia, Spain and Guatemala, life has felt very nomadic at times. But her shifting life circumstances helped her to dig deeper to find authentic community and meaningful connections. Stepping into circle in recent years met that call.
Today, she now facilitates circle sharing, to bring the alchemy of Sister Stories to other women in her current home city, Barcelona.
Jess Sumerling- East London
In the words of a dear friend, Jess is ‘a wild and unfinished example of a woman who is avidly unearthing who she is.’
Born and bred in London but with a heart in more natural landscapes, Jess is a learner and explorer of people, places and our stories in life. After a career as a creative producer, she yearned for new experiences and has gradually followed a different path.
From training to guide in the mountains to qualifying as an Ayurvedic practitioner, the journey keeps unfolding but the intention remains the same. To be a physical and emotional companion, to connect, share, and offer compassion, embracing the imperfect uniqueness of us all.
Kimi Lu- Phillippines
Kimi has been a global life coach for 10 years now and empowers individuals to truly believe in themselves and operate with compassion.
She believes that Sister Stories is a reciprocal safe space - when you come into the circle with her and feel like it was just what you needed, she feels every bit of that, more than you’ll both ever know. The feeling is always mutual!
Cassie Mather-Reid -Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Cassie is a Life Balance Coach, Yoga Teacher, Mother and Wife.
Sister Stories and the power of circle had been calling after sharing clients journeys and realising the craving they and she had for a deeper journey and connection.
Cassie is passionate about supporting women and their wellness. Emotionally, mindfully and physically along their journey to a deeper connection with themselves and their Sisters.
Sophie Blackman- South East London
Sophie arrived at Sister Stories to give voice to her own story after a decade long journey of self-actualisation and healing. In the sacred space of circle, she experienced being gently held in her vulnerability and deeply heard as she put her stories into words. Sophie believes that all women have stories to tell but are not always given the space to find their voice. As a Sister Stories facilitator Sophie creates a calm and mystical space that empowers women to experience this ancient gift of storytelling.
Alison Dinnie
Alison's love for gathering women began in the season of her life when she worked as doula and antenatal teacher. Through this work she realised on countless occasions the strength that women carry, and this is where her deep
admiration for women began. So, in 2020 she realised she needed to follow this calling again and
discovered Sister Stories. Now Alison uses her skills as a space holder to create a sacred, nurturing
and empowering space for women to come together and simply share, listen and be together.
Valerie Marechal- Brussels
Valerie is mother of 3, wife, daughter, sister, integrative health coach, bodyworker, and consultant. After many moves in Europe, the USA, and Latin America she is now based in Brussels.
Valerie felt the call to circle through her personal journey, where she reconnected with the sense of being whole, purpose and profound joy. Valerie is convinced that the world can be a better place by reconnecting with the feminine and with the healing power of authentic sharing. She nurtures the hope that circles will become an integral part of every girl’s and woman’s life and yearns to co -create the change.
Shona Mary McFarlane
Shona Mary deeply feels the need for Circle in our time. She has a management background in the corporate world, and 20 years ago went it alone starting her boutique personal development and well-being consultancy. The pandemic provided the opportunity to reinvent herself yet again by harnessing all her existing threads of helping people as a neuroscience coach, well-being facilitator, cacao practitioner, and shamanic healer, and pull them all together as a women's space holder.
She believes circle is in our DNA and that we all yearn for connection at a cellular level,
Meryl Rowlands, London & Hertfordshire
Meryl believes in the power of co-curated circle spaces where people are invited to vulnerably share, and find resonance in this self-exploration with others. Meryl has benefitted from being a part of these non-social spaces in her past and felt strongly drawn to facilitate - her vision is to offer the tools and space for others to be self-curious, wherever you may be in your journey. After completing the Sister Stories training in 2022, Meryl launched Co-Curious (@co.curious) where she guides groups through meditations, journalling activities and supported sharing.
Emma Johnson- Gloucestershire
Emma believes deeply in the power of the female voices and stories, and in creating beautiful spaces for women to come together, to find sanctuary and soulful connection as often as they need it. She runs in-person and online circles as The Wild Circle, bringing women together for regular moments of ritual, reflection and connection, with a focus on returning to nature and connecting to our inner wildness. She says: "I believe we all need a space that we can rely on, where we can come as we are, and be met in that place. Women are deeply rooted in nature - the more we connect with our wildness, the more we root ourselves to the earth, the more we can truly connect to ourselves and each other. You can find Emma on Instagram here.
Laura Attridge
Laura is an artist, activist and facilitator fascinated by the power of story, who has always been driven to create spaces for transformation. Her Circles have curiosity, courage and connection at their core.
Laura believes in the revolutionary potential of gathering in Circle to explore and experience new ways of being, and in the ripples of change those gatherings can send out into the wider world. She is particularly passionate about offering space in which those who ordinarily hold space can be held, themselves.
Susanne Müller
Susanne brings positivity and enthusiasm to every space she holds, with her circles guided by the natural flow of seasonality. Passionate about perimenopause and hormonal journeys, she fosters connection in a relaxed, authentic way. With her mantra of "No fuss, just hormones and us," Susanne creates an inviting environment of curiosity and kindness.
Nicola Morgan - Holloway, North London
Sophie Harris - Bristol
From a costume design and accessories background and a fan of people, plants and a good brew, Sophie retrained as a naturopath, combining her love affair with fabric with an equal affection for the healing power of food, herbs, oils and massage.
She invites those drawn to, or in need of, taking pause to join her in creating a sacred space through which we can all reconnect with ourselves and others. A sanctuary in which to be heard and gently listen to the shared experiences that bind us together and make us human.
Lucinda Kerr - Bath
Lucinda is a seeker. Driven by curiosity she is constantly in pursuit of adventure and connection, often in the unlikeliest places. Currently living in Bath, she is a breathwork facilitator and writer with a passion for stories and growth through shared experience.
Janine Begley- North Devon
Janine is keepsake maker and entrepreneur with a long background in retail, living in beautiful North Devon with her little family.
She is always in awe of people and their stories in this life in all capacities. A truly social creature with a passionate heart. Many breadcrumbs have led her to listen to that longing to bring women together in a safe, meaningful and sacred, soft space.
She invites you to bring your whole self in whatever way that shows up and asks you to soften into the magic of circle. You will be held with security and love so that you too can sink into your divine feminine and give that medicine to all parts of your being that may need such nurture.
Carlota GIl Carretero- Madrid
Carlota works in innovation and lives in Madrid. She came across the magic of women circles in Paris. It was everything she had been longing for: a space to freely express her inner self, to let it dance to the sound of her heart. Today, she has become a facilitator to share that space with others, and embrace once again the magic it evokes.
Faye Larson- Geelong & Golden Coast, Australia
Faye has always been a weaver of words and has a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling. Now a mother of four, her days and home are full- of tears and laughter, learning and growing but always plenty of love.
Seeking out nature at every chance, she is guided by the seasons, the moon and her intuition, drawn to ancient ways and wisdom. Gathering women to share their stories in a nurturing, sacred space feels to her like essential and deeply powerful work that has the potential to change our world.
Kathleen Conway- Leamington Spa
Kathleen has been practicing Traditional Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for over 25 years. She is passionate about her profession and has been sharing modalities of these Healing Arts, since her early 20's.
As an instructor of Qigong and meditation she practices daily and believes in self care and sharing her knowledge and experience of the simple magic of self care with others so that they have the power to help and support themselves fully.
She draws inspiration from her Celtic and Hispanic ancestral roots and myths and stories and is a protector and lover of the natural environment with a particular affinity with forests and trees also the medicinal properties within these beautiful spaces.
Marianne Love- Bournemouth
Marianne is passionate about supporting young people to fulfil their full potential, by helping those most at need feel safe, listened to and inspired. As a mother herself, she sees bringing young people into a more confident, calm and self assured space as a way to set themselves free. Marianne brings women, teens and families together in circle through teaching the feminine movement practice Qoya. Through movement, ritual, community and connection, women learn to trust the physical sensation of truth in their bodies. Marianne is on a yoga teacher training journey and hopes to enrich many women's lives through creating circles in Bournemouth.
Jodie Pritchard- Birmingham
Jodie has been described as many things by those who know her; from a playful and effervescent puppy to a wise priestess. Always rooted to the earth, Jodie is full of passion and energy for all things natural healing and believes that we, as women, have the power within to heal ourselves, our families, our communities and the entire world.
Combining her longing for a deeper connection to women and strongly held belief in the healing power of women, Jodie was called to Sister Stories to bring a sacred space of warmth, acceptance and closeness to her community.
Jo Henry- Essex
Jo has always been passionate about the power of stories in shaping who we are and how we relate to ourselves and the world around us. Having worked with social and environmental issues for many years, her path has driven her to explore how we can create change through who we are and what we embody.
For Jo, being in circle is a practice to strengthen the heart. To live in connection with our beings is to experience the richness, depth and beauty of life. She believes that women have precious gifts that can and are healing and transforming the world. It is her desire with Sister Stories to support this, through the connection and remembering of who we are, individually and collectively.
Katie Huntsman- Hull
Katie is a yoga teacher, energy healer, and community Doula from Yorkshire, UK. Always having had a strong connection to storytelling through music, film, theatre, and words shared between friends, she is looking forward to inviting other womxn into healing, into magick, through the transformative practice of Circle,
Fuelled by a deep reverence of the feminine & a yearning for authenticity and connection, a space to listen, share and be together, to be tender and to be mighty, as so many generations have done before us, Katie has come to find Circle to be a crucial part of her self-care and hopes soon, you will too.
Megan Harries- Brighton
Meg is a mama, an adventure seeker, Life Coach in the making, and wannabe mermaid. Living by the sea in Brighton, has led to a love of sea-swimming and early morning meet-ups with other women who crave quiet and a place to just-be. It is her magic hour, where stories are shared and courage and joy experienced in equal measure.
This love of listening and learning through stories, is what led Megan to Sister Stories, and a life-long calling was answered. The desire to create a space for women to be seen and heard without fear or judgement.
The beauty and power of a Sister Stories Circle is in its simplicity. By sharing, caring and connecting, we are able to voice our fears, dreams and desires. It is a place of quiet reflection and Megan believes that magic happens when we sit in a circle together. We heal, we grow and we leave nurtured and nourished, and a little better for it.
Nicola Wood - Swindon, Wiltshire
Nicola is an intuitive, caring, creative and a mother to 3, with a deep awe and childlike wonder for the living world.
Having spent much of her working life supporting the local communities where she has lived, Nicola co-founded a charity in 2016, working with people seeking sanctuary.
Gathering with women in circle has felt like coming home for Nicola and after training with Sister Stories she set up ‘Women Replanting’ to hold circles, to simply gather with women, as our ancestors did, as many indigenous tribes still do. To be seen, heard and held by other women, as we bring new stories to an ancient way of gathering.
Eva Kennedy- Dublin
Eva is a Dublin-based marketing professional. She came across Sister Stories during a time where she was wondering about everything and wanting to know 'the secrets to living a meaningful life'. The training offered the tools to create circles for women to explore questions and our lived experiences together; strengthening our intuition and our comfort with uncertainty.
Eva believes whole-heartedly in women and holding circle matters to her because she believes being in spaces of compassion will allow each of us to live with more courage and kindness. Eva hopes to make the magic of circle available to many women in Dublin, with a particular focus on young women.
Lianne, known as “Li High Pri - Natural Mystic" is based in South London.
In her journey as a Story Keeper and space holder, Lianne has been witness to tales of joy, sorrow, triumph, trauma, rites of passage, and celebration, she considers it an honour to hold the role of a Story Keeper for others.
Feeling a profound calling to cultivate communities and spaces for collective gatherings, Lianne advocates for these spaces to be cultivated with principles that honour everyone as wisdom keepers. Having personally encountered both nourishing and potentially harmful spaces, Lianne emphasises the need for spaces that are not only intentionally safe but also trauma-informed.
When discovering Sister Stories ,Lianne felt an immediate alignment not only with the training offered but also with the Mission, Values, and Beliefs - in the shared commitment to creating safe, sacred, and inclusive spaces for storytelling and healing.
Founding Synergy SisterHood & Circle Lianne now holds both online & In-Person circles based in South London.
Lisa Stone
Lisa is a poet, partner, mother and free spirit, who finds joy in the smallest things in nature and in life. A secondary English teacher for many years, she believed in creating a safe, listening environment, a love of stories and the gift of self-expression. She now fosters these same things, as a coach, mentor, mental health facilitator and happiness-kindness trainer, using circle to build connection and giving people the confidence to voice their truths. Patchwork Story Circles encourages people to come as they are and connect with themselves and each other at the deepest level of loving human acceptance.