My name is Siobhán Sarelle, I’m 47 and I currently live in Oxford, England. I am queer, transgender and I use the pronouns “she/her”. I enjoy being creative, including with music, video production, photography, art & graphic design.

I am a musician. I love to improvise with hypnotic, tribal rhythms. I sing and I am self taught in playing many instruments including mandolin, Greek bouzouki, acoustic & classical guitar, bass guitar, drums & percussion, piano, keyboard and synthesisers.

I love authenticity, emotional intelligence, empathy and kindness, independence, creativity, sensitivity, compassion, honesty, passion, affection, good communication, intimacy, safe spaces.

I feel my emotions very intensely, it gives me my creative edge and my passion, but it can also be very exhausting.

I’ve had a very intensive journey with my mental health, including spending 18 months with a Therapeutic Community specialising in what are often called “Personality Disorders”. It was a huge step to take, gaining awareness of my feelings and unhealthy defences, exposing my vulnerability to myself and others.

Through my therapy and lived experience and through listening to others, connecting with people, authentically, I’ve worked very hard, and learnt a great deal about myself and my relationships.

For the last couple of years, I have been living on my own in the midst of a pandemic which started shortly after I left the Therapeutic Community (and lost my support network). Life has felt incredibly difficult. Sometimes it can feel like I’ve gone backwards, but actually I haven’t lost what I’ve learnt. I’ve been overwhelmed and it feels very hard to find my way out of the storm sometimes.