My working life has taken a number of turns to reach where I am now.  I first earned a very modest income as a spinner and weaver, but I couldn’t support myself financially and I trained to be a social worker.  There followed several years of social work, until I had the courage to apply to go to Music College, something I had always wanted to do.  The oboe, piano and singing were my instruments and I was very proud to gain my degree.  

Working as a professional oboist came as a big shock .  The pressure to be good enough was intense and I became very disillusioned.  In the meantime I had done some extra training as a psychotherapist and began to work in this field.  In 2000 the most exciting thing that happened was going on a week’s course with Frankie Armstrong entitled ‘Find your Voice’.

The impact of Frankie’s approach was enormous and none of my previous training experiences had ever touched me so deeply.  For the first time I was not judged and every sound I made was ‘good enough’.  I found my own very special voice and with it I was able to express many emotions that had been hitherto suppressed.

Well, I thought, if this has had such an effect on me, how can I use it to help others?  And so started my route into voice work (see below) and singing groups.


My family is hugely important to me, and I am lucky enough to have a very big one.  I am one of 6 children and have 23 first cousins and we are all the very best of friends!  My mother leads a very active life and still teaches the piano (a skill she learned aged 60!).


I am married to a wonderful man called Nick who supports me and my work, and keeps my feet on the ground when I need it!  I have two adult step-children who have introduced me to parenting and all that that entails. .  I try to follow a Buddhist path, in particular the one led by Thich Nhat Hanh and when I am not working I can be found playing golf, swimming in the north sea, playing tennis, walking with my dog, cooking lovely food, or meeting up with one or other of my several very good friends.


I  can’t paint...


This was a belief that I held until about 5 years ago.  I was given the opportunity to explode this myth and I have been lucky enough to exhibit and sell my work several times.  Going through this process reinforced my understanding about how self belief can be so powerful.  The thing that stops us doing what we want to do is simply fear, and once we overcome that, we can do anything.  


Through all my work I try my hardest to ‘walk my talk’ and I believe that this is one of the main reasons why what I do is  so powerful.   

A bit about Teresa Verney

A glimpse of one of my paintings

The voice is far more important than we realize and does truly reflect how we are feeling.  You know instantly on the phone how a loved one is feeling, just by how they say ‘hello’.  After singing in public, speaking in public is one of the most universally feared activity, and this is because when doing it, it is very hard to hide how we really feel. We have three vocal modes to work with, the speaking voice, the singing voice and the sounding voice; and it is this final one that is the one to focus on.  When we  laugh or cry, when we shout or whimper, we are expressing feelings beyond what simple words can convey.  In daily life we don’t need to analysis this but through voice work we can find a way to touch and then release the unresolved emotions that we all have, and have a chance to live happier and more healthy lives.

VOICE WORK

I am enormously lucky to co-own a cottage on the Isle of Angelsey in a small village called Rhoscolyn, called Plas Huan. It is set on a promontory that in one direction overlooks the Irish sea, and in the other, the Snowdonia mountain range. From every window you can see the sea.  

It sleeps up to 8 people and is ideal for walking, climbing, golfing, birding, swimming, or doing nothing!  If you would like to stay, please contact me for more information.    

A LOVE MEDITATION  from Thich Nhat Hanh


May I be peaceful, happy, and light in body and spirit.

May I be safe and free from injury.

May I be free from anger, afflictions, fear, and anxiety.

May I learn to look at myself with the eyes of understanding and love.

May I be able to recognise and touch the seeds of joy and happiness in myself.

May I learn to identify and see the sources of anger, craving and delusion in myself.

May I know how to nourish the seeds of joy in myself every day.

May I be able to live fresh, solid and free.

May I be free from attachment and aversion, but not be indifferent.


Thay teaches that until we can love ourselves, we cannot love others and that by loving ourselves we then become free to truly love others.