I’m Sally Parkin
Some of you may be surprised that my real name is not Sally Golightly… my first social media profiles were under this pseudonym in order to ‘hide’ when I worked in the Criminal Justice System, and since then it just kind of stuck!
I also like Breakfast at Tiffany’s. A lot.
I live in Yorkshire with my husband, two boys and our cat. I have two adult step children. I’m a granny too. In my spare time I run long distances in the hills. I’m neither fast at running nor particularly good at map reading but what I lack in speed and ability I make up for in enthusiasm.
And that enthusiasm ripples out into my work.
I’m passionate about supporting others in liminal spaces – those transitions in life when you’re in between.
I’d just had my first baby and I didn’t want to change anything. I enjoyed my work in the Probation Service but I was curious about my own experience of childbirth and wanted to know more so I did some training with the National Childbirth Trust.
And then unbeknownst to me I entered a liminal space.
After the birth of my second baby, I was diagnosed with postnatal depression and despite having a good support network I was lonely and scared.
So, I left my job, started my own business and immersed myself in the birth world.
And Sally Golightly was born.
I’ve also recently joined the Tutor team at NCT/University of Worcester two days a week.
It’s been a long old journey to get here, as I first started the pathway in 2019, before it was paused in 2020 with lockdown. In fact it was the start of this journey that led to the writing of Creating Circles.
I’m really excited about this, I REALLY love my work with students and developing practice around facilitation. This role enables me to do more of that while still offering Creating Circles and magical journaling spaces.
I support parents pre and postnatally
As a Birth and Postnatal Doula trained by Red Tent Doulas, I love supporting parents as they prepare for birth and parenting and navigate the pre-natal and postnatal period.
I’m the one who will be with you every step of the way, answering your questions, making sure you’re aware of your options, supporting your other little ones or even bringing you a home cooked hot meal, running errands or providing a listening ear when you need one.
“Every birthing woman deserves a Sally! I’d only looked into a Doula to assist with our toddler during the birth as we didn’t have any family to help out, little did I know how wonderful a Doula could be. I’d heard it was essentially ‘Mothering the Mother’ but Sally brought so much more awesomeness to our home than we could have expected.”
I can be one of the familiar faces at the birth of your baby. I’ve supported parents at a wide range of births including (but not limited to) home water births, planned home breech birth, induction, and planned and emergency Caesareans. I have extensive experience of supporting parents during the birth of their babies in a range of birth environments whether that’s at home, in midwife led units or on obstetric wards as well as theatre.
It really matters to me that women and people who birth feel in control of their options and are able to communicate their wishes to their healthcare providers in a way that ensures they are heard and their wishes are upheld.
I support Birth Workers in taking the next step
There are so many things you could be doing, and there are so many things that others say you should be doing and when the unhelpful little voice in your head is telling you something different, it can be difficult to know how to move forward.
I’ll meet you where you are at. And then in my Mentoring and Coaching sessions, we’ll pause, take a breath before exploring what it is you really need, and then I’ll support you in taking the next step.
“Sally is a lovely, quietly confident Doula who gave us caring support and assurance without being judgemental or dismissive of our needs and always checked if we needed anything else… She is just a beautiful person. It felt like having a knowledgeable and confident friend with us.”
As a mentor for Doula UK and a trainer with Red Tent Doulas, I can support you either on an individual or group basis or through workshops in the North of England and online.
I hold supportive and creative spaces
I love holding space…
For connection and conversation.
To create, connect, journal and drink tea through Maternal Journal online and at my home in North Yorkshire, in the Moon Room.
To discuss death, dying, grief and loss through a Death Cafe ‘Death Becomes Her’ discussion group.
I love giving people the opportunity to share, voice their thoughts and feelings, journal, be creative, explore and connect.
“Sally is an amazing facilitator. She creates the perfect balance in the group between allowing women to chat, share, reflect and be creative. I love going to the maternal journal sessions and always leave feeling that I have learned something new about myself.”
I help others facilitate their own circles
I believe that …
People need to feel nurtured and held.
People need to be heard.
People need safe spaces.
And I know that …
Circle work can do all these things – it makes a difference to people’s lives; it’s magic.
So, if you want to hold your own groups to promote health and wellbeing in your community, to make that difference and witness that magic then I developed the Creating Circles course just for you.
“A teacher by trade, I was desperately seeking my way out… The course not only made me question what I want and where I was going, it gave me the confidence to take huge leaps into the unknown, rejecting my comfort zone in the search of soul centred work more aligned with who I am. This came from hearing the stories of my course mates, which resonated so deeply, alongside sitting in the beautiful safe and open space Sally creates – where you feel heard, validated and held.”
How I do things
Balancing things as a small business is really tricky at the moment as costs rise…
But there are a few things I do to try and balance the cost of my offerings to make it easier…
Early bird offers are available for those who book on workshops early. This enables me to book venues in advance and means that you can book on for cheaper.
Block booking discounts are available for those who book a series – it will always be cheaper than paying on a drop in basis.
Transfer your place – I know that sometimes life can get in the way so I will happily transfer your place for in-person sessions (with 48 hours’ notice) and for Maternal Journal online I’m happy to transfer your session on the day. Creating Circles is slightly different though.
Pay as you feel tickets are always available for Maternal Journal online on Eventbrite and free places are available for all journaling sessions if you contact me. If you choose to pay higher than the recommended price (£10) then this money helps me provide gifted spaces to others.
Free sessions – at the moment I offer free drop in sessions for Creating Circles. These sessions are for aspiring and current circle holders, as well as those curious about joining the Creating Circles course. I have no intention of changing for this in the short term, but this may be reviewed in the future.
Payment plans are always available for the Creating Circles course and do not cost more if you pay monthly. This means you can spread the cost of the course in a way that feels manageable to you. I don’t believe you should be penalised if you can’t pay in full.
I’d love to hear from you
If you have any questions or would find out more about any of my offerings, I’d love to hear from you.
You can email me at mail@sallygolightly.co.uk