The guys had carried everything across to the new treatment rooms in the cottage, together with some boxes that Pierce had brought with him. He hadn’t had time to unpack them before he left with Ceana.

‘You’ve all been working very hard, I see,’ he comments as we enter treatment room number one on the ground floor of the cottage.

‘Everyone works as a team here. If we need to switch any of the larger boxes between rooms, then either Taylor or Bastien will be happy to help out,’ I remark, hoping my guesswork wasn’t too far wrong on what was going where.

‘We’re fine. I’m used to lugging stuff about. Between us we’ll manage, I’m sure. Thank you for sorting the cupboards and desks. I realised afterwards I should have roughed out a plan for you, but there wasn’t time. The focus has to be on filling places and getting the word out amongst our peers. Courses are great networking events, but Ceana needed to bring herself up to date on a few things. The sessions I ran went well, and I’ve honoured my outstanding commitments. It’s wonderful to be back here with just the one agenda, now.’

I didn’t realise he taught, as well as being a practitioner. In fact, as the day goes on and we begin unpacking his things, we part-fill the wall above his desk with his diplomas and certificates. This man is a perpetual student, it seems, even though he has a vast wealth of experience spanning in excess of twenty years. Everything from a sports masseuse, to bereavement and grief counselling, accredited by the UK College of Holistic Training.

‘I’ll miss running courses for them,’ he says, suddenly appearing next to me as I rub a duster over the frame of the last certificate. ‘But Nico is very persuasive. It’s unusual for someone to be more focused on the quality of delivery than the money rolling in.’

That remark has cheered me up a little. Maybe this man isn’t quite the table-thumper, with pound signs in his eyes, that I assumed him to be.

‘Your approach is very different to the way it’s been here in the past, if you don’t mind me saying, Pierce.’

He purses his lips. ‘Not at all. I believe everyone should speak their mind and not bottle things up. The Haven has to turn a profit, Fern. This is a major change of direction and the holistic elements require everything to be cohesive. The plan is that all staff members will receive basic training, so they are fully aware of what will be on offer. Experiencing something first-hand is the best way of understanding the overall concept.’