About John

After becoming a partner in a law practice at 26, I was very successful, in a conventional sense, but deeply unhappy. I was poor at forming and maintaining intimate relationships. I gradually came to understand that I was stuck in my head, disconnected both from my body and from my heart.

In my thirties, to free myself from this unhappiness, I started to get in touch with my body and my feelings through dance, yoga, tantra, psychotherapy, body-mind centering and other practices. I discovered the joy and aliveness of my body and my sexuality. I worked with wonderful teachers such as Janis Claxton and Nancy Stark Smith [dance], Hilly Spenceley and John Hawken [tantra]. I studied core process therapy and then gestalt psychotherapy for four years. In 1990, I became a Buddhist and set up The Glasgow Zen Group, where, 32 years later, I continue to be the principal meditation teacher. Encouraged by my tantra teacher Hilly Spenceley, I started offering bodywork sessions in 2012. I was keen, and remain keen, to work with people who experience significant blocks to their sexual fulfillment, because that’s what I experienced for much of my early life. It doesn’t necessarily manifest as unhappiness; it can appear as boredom, or repetition, or disconnection, or a sense that there must be something more. Even so, the point remains: if we are not happy in our sexuality, we are very unlikely to be happy in this one precious life we have, and that is a tragedy. A tragedy we can do something about.

I trained in Sexological Bodywork with Joseph Kramer, Deej Juventin and Uma Furman, qualifying in 2015.

I have since done further training, including Caffyn Jess’ Intimacy Educator Programme and  Betty Martin‘s inaugural  practitioner training in The Wheel Of Consent.

I think people are entitled to know the motivations of practitioners in doing this kind of work. I have an emotionally rich life and a wonderful relationship. I do this work not for personal gratification, but to be the best version of myself, in loving service. So I only want to work with you if I can help. That is why, prior to taking any money, we will have a detailed, free conversation [ideally in person, otherwise by telephone or Zoom] so that, from an informed position, we can each decide if we’re a good fit.

Alongside my individual work I was the co-founder and co-director of The School Of Conscious Touch, which provided in person certified training in Glasgow, Scotland for people who wished to work professionally with sexuality in a way that was authentic to them. I now provide mentoring on a one to one basis for aspiring sexuality practitioners and supervision and collaborative creativity for those in practice.

I have written extensively about sexuality. You can find my articles here ,which give some idea of the scope and range of my work. I’d encourage you to explore these articles. They offer a fairly consistent – if unorthodox – perspective on sexuality, which may chime with you.

You can contact me here

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