Co-founder of Blue Morpho Edinburgh and Blue Morpho House, Portugal
Chanan Tej
Counsellor, Mindfulness Teacher, Sound Practitioner & Community Herbalist
A Journey of Curiosity and Discovery
Chanan’s life and work have been shaped by a longstanding curiosity about human nature, consciousness and our relationship with the world around us.
Over the past twenty years, she has explored psychology, Buddhist counselling and psychotherapy, mindfulness, sound practices, herbal medicine and our connection with the natural world.
Although these may appear to be different disciplines, for Chanan they are deeply connected. Each offers a different way of understanding ourselves, exploring our experiences and developing a more meaningful relationship with life.
At the heart of her work is a wish to encourage curiosity, deepen awareness and create opportunities for people to reconnect with themselves, with others and with the living world.
Professional Background and Education
Originally from Poland, Chanan completed her first degree in Administration and Law before beginning her professional career in banking and finance.
Her growing interest in psychology, philosophy and the deeper questions of human existence eventually led her towards a different professional path.
She spent much of her adult life living, studying and working in Scotland, where she completed a BSc (Hons) in Psychology at Edinburgh Napier University, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Buddhist Counselling and Psychotherapy.
She trained with David and Caroline Brazier, whose pioneering work brings together Buddhist psychology and Western psychotherapy. Their approach has had a lasting influence on her understanding of human suffering, psychological wellbeing and the possibilities for personal transformation.
Her education and professional experiences have encouraged her to appreciate different perspectives rather than seek answers within a single discipline.
The Different Strands of Her Work
Psychology & Counselling
Psychology, Buddhist counselling and psychotherapy inform Chanan’s exploration of human experience, emotional wellbeing and personal change.
Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness and contemplative practices offer ways of cultivating awareness, exploring experience and reconnecting with the present moment.
Sound & Contemplative Practice
Sound and gong practices form part of her wider exploration of stillness, reflection and the relationship between mind and body.
Herbalism & Nature Connection
Community herbalism, plant knowledge and nature-based practices reflect Chanan’s connection with the living world.
Counselling, Buddhist Psychology and Mindfulness
Chanan’s counselling work is grounded in compassion, curiosity and respect for each person’s individual experience.
People come to counselling for many reasons, including anxiety, depression, grief, relationship difficulties and significant life changes. She offers a warm, confidential and non-judgemental space where experiences can be explored openly and at a pace that feels right for each individual.
Influenced by Buddhist psychology and mindfulness, she is particularly interested in how our beliefs, habitual patterns and the stories we hold about ourselves shape our experiences and sometimes contribute to suffering.
Through awareness and gentle exploration, counselling can offer an opportunity to see beyond familiar perspectives and discover greater freedom in how we relate to ourselves and the world.
For some people, therapy is primarily about finding support and clarity during a difficult period. For others, it may become a deeper exploration of identity, meaning and existence.
Chanan respects both approaches, believing that meaningful therapeutic work begins with meeting people where they are rather than directing them towards a predetermined outcome.
Mindfulness and meditation have been central to her personal and professional life for many years. She sees them not simply as techniques for relaxation, but as opportunities to develop awareness, deepen our relationship with experience and become more fully present in everyday life.
Sound, Meditation and Inner Exploration
Alongside counselling and mindfulness, Chanan has developed extensive experience in working with sound and gongs.
Her training includes studying with internationally recognised gong teachers Don Conreaux and Aidan McIntyre.
Over the years, she has facilitated gong baths, sound meditations and group experiences that invite participants to step away from the demands of everyday life and enter a space of rest, reflection and inner exploration.
What particularly interests her about sound is its ability to create an experience that does not depend entirely on words or intellectual understanding.
For some, a gong journey offers an opportunity for deep relaxation. For others, it may encourage emotional awareness, reflection or a different experience of themselves.
Her intention is to create an environment where people can explore these experiences without expectations or pressure to achieve a particular state.
Nature, Herbal Medicine and Reconnection
Chanan’s relationship with nature began long before her professional interest in psychology and wellbeing. Growing up in Poland, she spent much of her childhood exploring forests, gathering mushrooms and developing a fascination with the natural world. These early experiences nurtured a sense of curiosity, wonder and belonging that continues to influence her life today. Over time, her interest in nature has developed into a deeper exploration of the relationship between human wellbeing and the living environment.
She is particularly drawn to the understanding that we are not separate from nature. Our bodies, senses and experiences are part of the same living world. This perspective informs her work with mindful walking, forest bathing and nature connection practices.
Through these experiences, she invites people to slow down, reconnect with their senses and rediscover the richness of the world that often goes unnoticed in everyday life.
Community Herbalism
Her interest in plants and traditional healing practices has also led her to study herbal medicine.
Having completed a two-year apprenticeship in community herbalism with the Plant Medicine School in Ireland, she is continuing her education through practitioner training.
She is especially interested in the relationship between plants, emotional wellbeing, traditional knowledge and our connection with the land.
For Chanan, working with plants is not simply about learning their medicinal properties. It is also about developing a relationship with the natural environment through observation, curiosity, respect and direct experience.
Blue Morpho Edinburgh and Blue Morpho House
Together with her partner, Jarek, Chanan co-founded Blue Morpho Edinburgh, a holistic therapy centre that has been welcoming therapists and clients for more than a decade.
Blue Morpho grew from their shared interest in creating a supportive environment for therapeutic work, wellbeing and personal exploration. Over the years, it has become a space where practitioners from different therapeutic backgrounds can offer their work, reflecting an appreciation for the many approaches to health and wellbeing.
More recently, their journey has taken them to central Portugal, where they are developing Blue Morpho House. Surrounded by woodland and the natural beauty of the Portuguese countryside, Blue Morpho House is an evolving space for retreats, workshops, meditation, sound experiences and nature-based learning. It brings together many of the interests and practices that have shaped Chanan’s personal and professional journey.
Through retreats and gatherings, she hopes to offer people an opportunity to step outside their familiar routines, slow down and reconnect with aspects of life that can easily become overlooked. Activities may include mindfulness and meditation, gong journeys, forest immersion, mindful movement, herbal workshops, foraging and shared experiences around food and nature.
Chanan particularly enjoys introducing people to experiences they may never have encountered before.
There is something deeply rewarding for her in witnessing curiosity awaken, whether someone is discovering meditation for the first time, listening to the sounds of a forest with renewed attention or learning about the plants growing beneath their feet. She believes that learning and personal discovery can be both meaningful and joyful, and that a sense of wonder is an important part of our relationship with life.
Blue Morpho Edinburgh
Blue Morpho House · Portugal
The Philosophy Behind Her Work
Although Chanan’s professional interests span several disciplines, they are connected by a common thread: curiosity about what it means to be human and how we relate to ourselves, one another and the world.
She does not believe that personal growth necessarily means becoming a different or improved version of ourselves. Sometimes, meaningful change begins with recognising the beliefs, expectations and habitual patterns that shape our experience, and discovering that we may not be as limited by them as we imagine.
Her intention is to create spaces where people feel free to question, explore and discover for themselves. This may happen through conversation, meditation, sound, working with plants or simply spending time in nature. Each experience offers a different doorway into awareness.
Chanan believes that psychological wellbeing cannot be entirely separated from our relationships with our bodies, communities and natural surroundings. We are part of a much larger living world, and reconnecting with that sense of belonging can be a meaningful aspect of wellbeing.
Whether working with someone individually, facilitating a group meditation or guiding people through a forest, her intention remains the same: to encourage curiosity, support exploration and create opportunities for greater awareness, connection and freedom.
Connect with Chanan
Chanan’s work brings together counselling, mindfulness, sound and a deep connection with the natural world. Whether you’re considering counselling or curious about her wider work, there are different ways to explore what she offers.
If you’re thinking about counselling, Chanan offers a free 15-minute introductory call. This is an opportunity to ask questions, discuss what you’re looking for and explore whether working together feels right.