Petra Griffiths

Biographical Information

"Healing Journey Co-ordinator, Course Leader (London), and member of the Healing Journey Advisory Group. My interest in the Healing Journey grew out of my own cancer experience in my early thirties, when I found the use of relaxation and visualisation very helpful, in addition to the orthodox treatments.

"Many strands of my life have come together in the Healing Journey. I have worked in the cancer support field for over 25 years (having been a co-founder of Cancerlink and the National Conference of Cancer Self Help Groups).

"I had not previously come across a structured developmental programme enabling people both to learn a range of self care methods and to form an ongoing group that meets for more than a year, thereby developing very supportive relationships. When I heard about the Healing Journey in 2007, I was very impressed with its comprehensiveness and depth, and knew that this was a programme that must be made available in the UK.

"Over the last two years I have had the opportunity to visit Toronto and to observe HJP being offered in three settings in the community and hospital by five different leaders; to organise and attend a leaders’ training course led by Alastair Cunningham; to do wide reading in the field, especially on spirituality and health; and to think in depth about the levels of the programme.

"I have greatly benefited from extensive discussions both with colleagues at Paul D'Auria Cancer Support Centre and with Alastair Cunningham about the nature of the programme and the parts that we felt would need some adaptation for the UK setting. Alastair has been exceptionally generous with the time he has offered for electronic discussions and in the welcome I received in Toronto. I want to record my grateful thanks here for his honesty, generosity and great encouragement for our work in the UK.

"I co-led levels 3 to 5 of the first pilot course with Pauline Withers-Born in 2008-09, an experience that we both found very fulfilling, having somewhat adapted the content for these levels for our London pilot.

"I am Director of the Paul D’Auria Cancer Support Centre. I studied both with Barbara Somers and Ian Gordon Brown at the Centre for Transpersonal Psychology, and also at the Psychosynthesis & Education Trust. I spent several years developing holistic spiritual education programmes and running workshops before joining the Paul D’Auria Cancer Support Centre."