René grew up in war torn Zimbabwe and yet she had an amazing childhood full of adventure, love and animals. René married a local man and her oldest son was born in Harare before they were forced to flee to South Africa. There she had two more children in, Kwazulu Natal, while she began her career working with children affected by trauma, violence and abuse. Fourteen years later René's young family moved to USA where she continued to work with dysfunctional families and helped parents to learn new methods of parenting children from hard places.

René completed a Degree in Early Education and Child Development and moved to the UK where she began to work with victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence – specifically women and children in the first instance, but eventually René was privileged to plan and open the first dedicated male refuge in the South West of England.

René now lives on a small holding in mid Cornwall with her very tolerant husband and her family of therapy animals!  She continues to work in the field of domestic abuse,  traumatised children and animals and is currently fills her spare time writing her second book (Animal-Assisted Therapy Activity Book) and completing the fine art sketches for her therapeutic colouring book due out soon. On a beautiful Cornish day René can be found at her desk with a Golden Retriever, 'Roxy', resting on her feet or walking though rock pools together on the beach. René's family is her inspiration and Roxy is a working partner and her therapist.