National Foundation for Giving Voice

Biographies: Rachel Healey

Apprentice Giving Voice teacher since March 2003 -2005, now fully trained and practising teacher.

Rachel is the first person to undertake training with Jill in facilitating Giving Voice. She discovered Giving Voice in 1999 at a residential weekend led by Jill. She has continued to use it to transform her life ever since, and has now begun to run Giving Voice events for others.

Rachel has always sought a deeper connection through her singing, which she felt was missing in her classical training. She found it in 1998, when she began studying Indian Classical music with vocalist Anoop Misra in Benares, India. On returning to England, she continued learning Indian Music, but also wanted a singing practice that was rooted in her own culture. When she discovered Giving Voice, she felt she had come home. She is now busy integrating Giving Voice into her life and work.

In 2006, Rachel developed M.E./Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As well as huge challenges, this has offered her a huge amount of personal learning about using Giving Voice to support herself joyfully and wisely with long-term illness, and informs all her teaching and work with others.

Rachel holds an honours degree in Philosophy and Psychology, certificates in counselling skills and pottery, and a qualification in Arts and Mental Health. She completed a MMus in Ethnomusicology at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 2002. She has a young son, and her family responsiblities have presently drawn her away from academia, and keep her firmly rooted in practice not theory. She continues her Indian music study alongside Giving Voice, each enhancing the other.

In 2002 Rachel obtained a Real Lives Real People Mind Millennium Award and ran Indian music workshops in Leeds using Giving Voice principles. She has also run Giving Voice events for a Northern Mind conference, an NHS national conference, Leeds Social Services, Leeds Carers, South Asian Arts UK, in Manchester, Scarborough, and on summer camps. She currently runs regular events in Leeds.

Rachel can be contacted via the National Foundation for Giving Voice.

Reg Charity number 1140266