Barbara Siddall

"Barbara Siddall is a Transpersonal Counsellor/Psycotherapist, Yoga teacher and Healer. She has studied and been part of a team carrying out many years of research into altered states of consciousness with C. Maxwell Cade using Bio-feedback. Having joined the Bristol Cancer Help Centre in 1983 (now known as Penny Brohn Cancer Care). She then became their leading therapist, and is now a constitutional member.

"Barbara also leads support and self discovery groups at the former Cancer Resource Center, Wandsworth (now known as the Paul D'Auria Cancer Support Centre). She is also associated with the Breast Cancer Haven as Senior Group Therapist, involved in running seminars.

"An important foundation for her future work was her association with Sir George Trevelyan and the Wrekin Trust as a student and a tutor.

"She has also lead meditation retreats with the Rev Peter Dewey, a dream healing pilgrimage in Greece "in the footsteps of Asclepius" and pilgrimages in the landscape for the Gatekeeper trust of which she is a trustee.

"For the last 30 years she has studied the Hermetic wisdom with Peter and Sarah Dawkins and the Francis Bacon Research Trust. This involves healing work, pilgrimages to sacred places in Europe and the esoteric study of Shakespeare." [1]

"Member of Healing Journey Advisory Group. I have nearly 30 years experience working in the supportive and complementary field of cancer as a transpersonal psychotherapist,and counsellor, drawing from my skills as a yoga teacher, healer, and teacher of meditation , the imagination and altered states of consciousness. I became Senior Therapist at the then Bristol Cancer Help Centre, practising there for over 20 years, and am now a member of their new centre, the Penny Brohn Cancer Care Centre.

"I have been a therapist at the Cancer Resource Centre, now Paul’s Cancer Support Centre, for over 20 years as a counsellor and group leader. Also for the last nearly six years, I have led Introductory Days and Retreat Days at Breast Cancer Haven in Fulham and Hereford. I am also a Trustee of The Gatekeeper Trust, which organises Healing Pilgrimages in the Landscape and Sacred Places. My website is at www.mindjourneys.com."

In her article "Sir George Trevelyan: memories and observations", Barbara wrote"I first met Sir George at an early Wrekin Trust conference in 1971 entitled 'Michael, Arthur & the Living Christ'. It was held at High Leigh, Hoddesdon, a large country house. Speakers included Sir George, Rev. Peter Dewey, Rev. Gordon Baker, Bernard Nesfield-Cookson of Hawkwood with his beautiful slides of Russian icons and Renaissance art. Until then, like many others over the years, my search had been a lonely one. That first conference transported me to 'countries from which I never returned'! It infused me with a great happiness and sense of pioneering.

"I have memories of Sir George with the 'Man of the Trees', Richard St. Barbe Baker, on a hot summer day in the early eighties. A group of us sitting under the shade of a magnificent old spreading tree, sharing stories of the Nature Kingdoms. This was one of the Health & Healing conferences at Loughborough University...

"Way back in 1974, Sir George was invited to have his brain waves measured on Maxwell Cade's 'Mind Mirror', which then registered an entirely brand new brain pattern – a circle in lights, joining together the left and right brain, showing us, as Max said excitedly, “Vast Creativity!” – how could it have been otherwise?

"I have resplendent memories of Sir George in 1987, striding up Glastonbury Tor, as he had done so many times, and meeting up with crowds of us at dawn at the Harmonic Convergence in a great greeting of hands stretched out (Kevin Redpath captured this beautifully on video and has copies). His mammoth story telling with great eloquence of Parcival and the Fisher King. Also, the story of 'a great army of white knights on horseback' turning the tide for England in northern France during the Great War. Then fond memories of an evening when he visited some of us at the Bristol Cancer Help Centre, when we performed our poems for him. Needless to say, the delivery and timing was firmly re shaped to our great advantage with much merriment."