As he moves to pass her she holds out an arm, blocking his way. ‘Clean your shoes before you start the workshop. They’re filthy. It looks unprofessional.’

He looks down at his feet then crouches, undoes his laces and slips off his shoes, and hurls them away. They hit the front door with a thud. ‘There you go,’ he says, ‘no more shoes. I’ll lead the workshop in my socks.’

Before Kate can comment, Geraldine casually strolls back into the room, her hands in her pockets. She makes her way to the kitchen area, takes a biscuit from the plate then watches the other guests retake their seats as she eats it in two bites. Kate tries to read the expression on Geraldine’s face. Is she curious? Puzzled? Focusing in on one person in particular? What does she know?

‘Okay everyone!’ Tom retakes his chair. ‘Back to business. Our first session is about listening without judgement. The temptation when someone opens up to you is to comment, give advice, or chime in with your own experiences, but we’re going to learn the art of listening. For those that are doing the talking I want you to do so without censoring yourself or your story. Okay, I’m going to split you all up into groups of two and then …’