Tessabella Lovemore grew up in South Africa, where she attended a Waldorf school, went on to train as a Waldorf teacher, and spent the next 20 years teaching at various Waldorf schools in South Africa – and, from 1983, in the UK.

When she moved to the UK with her family, she had taken a post at a school for children with behavioural difficulties, many of whom had already been expelled from several schools before. Like other teachers, she believed she could make a difference there. As her visa, and that of her whole family, depended on this job, she could not simply give up after six months and move to another school, as most other teachers did. She had to stay in this post for at least five years if she did not want to return to South Africa. She had to learn to cope with the stress and anxiety that marked everyday school life, as they never knew when they would be kicked or a window shattered. During this time, she learnt a great deal about how conflicts and aggressive behaviour can be resolved through strategies that initially seem unusual, such as actively caring for the class room.

After 20 years in the teaching profession, she decided to study psychology, went on to earn her doctorate, and trained as an anthroposophical psychotherapist. She worked with parents and teachers, as well as with children. Drawing on her wealth of experience, both professional and personal, as well as her in-depth study of Rudolf Steiner’s writings and relevant academic fields (education, psychology, neuroscience and more), she developed courses. These courses offer insights and practical exercises that enable us to interact with children and adults in a different – healthier – way.

All her courses promote physical, emotional and mental health and foster peace – inner peace and peace within relationships. I am firmly convinced that they enable us to actively shape a future that is humane and allows us, as a society, to fully realise our potential.

For more information on Tessabella Lovemore and the ‘Active Practical Love initiative’ that manages and teaches her courses, follow this link: www.tessabellalovemore.com