Areas of Experience

Are you struggling with lack of confidence, low self-esteem, feelings of anxiousness and low moods? Is this affecting your day-to-day life, your work and perhaps your relationships? Perhaps you have worked through and understand the reasons for this but just can’t seem to move forward or know how to change your situation?

A young person was not attending school and therefore missing out on learning and educational opportunities for the future. The parents informed me that the young person spent most of their time in bed and had started isolating themselves from friends and family. On being given the time and a safe space to talk, the young person was able to talk about feelings of anxiety and the impact it had on their confidence and self-worth. Coaching helped the young person gain an understanding of their situation and identify coping strategies which enabled them to work towards rebuilding relationships and a return to full-time education.

^*Coaching should not substitute accessing specialist mental health services.

Has a situation led you to question who you are, what your purpose is and what is important to you? You may have come to the end of a long career and feel at a loss at what is next in store for you in life? Maybe you have had a change in direction following being a parent or carer, or you are no longer in a relationship and have “forgotten” who you were before?

I worked with a mother who had lost all sense of who she was as she had been so focussed on the needs of her children. She became very tearful when I asked, “What do YOU want?” as this was the first time she had been asked that question. Through coaching, she reflected on her hopes and dreams before becoming a mother, identifying her strengths and the experience she had gained through the years. Together we looked at what she wanted out of life, setting goals and identifying steps towards them. This resulted in the mother accessing adult education whilst taking on voluntary work, gaining confidence and self-worth and also developing her identity as an individual. After successfully gaining accredited qualifications, the mother entered employment in her chosen field of work, where she continued to develop professionally gaining national recognition.

Do you set yourself goals but never seem to reach them or maintain them? Is there something you want to do but keep putting it off or something keeps getting in the way? Are you working your way towards personal or professional development but finding it hard to focus on the road to get there?

A university student was struggling with managing the commitment between their studies and wanting a social life. They had a clear career path that required the university degree and started the course feeling positive and energised. As time went on they began falling behind with their studies and assignments, and started feeling a sense of dread at attending lectures.

Together, we looked at what measures they had put in place to achieve a balance between socialising and studying. Through my questions, the student’s thoughts and beliefs were challenged and they were able to reflect on the root cause for their lack of motivation. On identifying the real reason for them falling behind with their studies, we were able to come up with strategies to address those issues and achieve a sense of balance. The student finished their coaching journey feeling re-energised and motivated, having developed important problem-solving skills that would help with any future challenges.

Professional or personal; Do you find yourself in conversations or situations that leave you feeling frustrated due to a clash of personalities? You may feel that you’re unable to get your view across in a way that is understood or acknowledged. Words and actions are misinterpreted leading to disagreements, and you can’t understand why. Interactions feel like hard work, but you find yourself repeating the cycle no matter how hard you try to communicate.

A young professional was successful in gaining a leadership position overseeing company projects whilst line managing the team. The professional was enjoying the role but finding the line management of the team difficult. They felt that one person was purposely being difficult, undermining them at every opportunity and this was having an impact on how the rest of team responded to them. The coaching sessions provided the professional with protected time to process interactions and reflect on communication styles and methods. They identified and tested different ways to communicate and how they might change their “reactions” to “responses”. This enabled them to build a much more positive and effective working relationship with all the team through improved communication and understanding. The team developed a collaborative approach which increased productivity and job satisfaction.

You may or may not have been given a diagnosis and are wondering “Now what?” Perhaps you were hoping that there would be a greater understanding, and things would feel easier, but little has changed? The world or people around you don’t make sense, or you don’t seem to make sense to them. Are you in a new setting; education, work or training and are wondering how you’re going to cope? Perhaps you are a parent of a child/young person who presents as neurodivergent and are struggling with managing the challenges?

A family were struggling with the teenage boy’s diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The young man had started the course of medication but decided not to continue. He, as well as the rest of the family were struggling with the impact of this decision, which was causing disagreements and a deterioration in the relationships of the family unit. Through individual and family sessions, they processed their situation and the impact it had on themselves and the other family members. Through gaining clarity, an understanding of other’s perspectives, and understanding what the diagnosis meant for the teenager, they were able to work together on a family plan of action to improve family life and relationships. Sessions also included focusing on the teenager’s struggles within education; looking at their strengths and goals as well as the difficulties. Coping strategies were identified and a plan that met the teenagers needs resulted in the young man completing the year, sitting his exams and going on to further education.

Have you recently joined a new organisation or team, and your enthusiasm has been replaced with self-doubt which is known as Imposter Syndrome. This could be affecting your self-confidence and job satisfaction. Perhaps you have been in the same career for a long time and have lost your passion for your work or dread the start of your working week? Have you been made redundant or reached retirement and have no idea of what to do next?

After a few years as a teacher, my client had made the decision to change career. They had successfully gained employment which involved working with children and young people, but they were unsure of the progression path and opportunities for other fields of work.

Coaching helped this professional process the major changes to their career and reflect on what was important to and for them. They realised that until that point, the goals they had been setting themselves were not their own goals, but those set by other people’s expectations. Through self-discovery and challenging negative thinking patterns, my client worked on their self-identity and confidence which led to a significant career and personal life changes.

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You may recently have been promoted and now find yourself in a senior role that involves leading a team. Perhaps you own a business that has grown to the point that you have recruited members of staff, and you lack the relevant management experience. Are you leading a new team and finding that you are struggling with people management but can’t understand why?

A Team Leader was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with work as they were trying to balance the needs of their team and the expectations of more senior members of the organisation. The organisation had been through a restructure resulting in new colleagues joining their team, and this was proving to be a difficult challenge to manage. The Team Leader described themselves as a “people pleaser” which they stated resulted in them finding conversations around improving performance difficult. They also felt that they were struggling with the volume of work they had, resulting in them working many additional hours, often at home. The stress they were experiencing was impacting on their sleep, wellbeing and relationships.

During the coaching sessions, the Team Leader identified the reason they struggled with saying no and with having difficult conversations. Their thoughts and beliefs were challenged, resulting in a different more logical viewpoint, enabling them to explore alternative ways to lead the team. Putting these methods into practice, the Team Leader continued with coaching to assess setbacks and progress. The Team Leader stated they now felt confident that they had different strategies they could use and felt they were now leading the team in a way that empowered and developed their colleague’s skills and confidence.