About Me
I’m delighted you’ve found your way to my site and I’d love to share a little more about myself and my journey.
In this section you’ll find out:
My journey to becoming a coach
Why I love coaching
Wanting to find out more about what coaching is, and how I approach it? You can find that out on this page: What Is Coaching?
My journey
I’m a Professional Mental Health & Wellbeing Coach, based in Bristol in the United Kingdom. I split my time coaching between working for the NHS and running my own private practice. I help others reach their full potential, whether that’s overcoming depression or anxiety, improving their self-esteem, how they use their time, or any number of other factors. I have never been so passionate, inspired and motivated by what I do.
But that hasn’t always been the case.
Prior to working for the NHS and in my private practice I worked in the corporate world. I’ve worked for global companies with thousands of employees, and I’ve been one of the first to join a start up. I’ve worked privately and for the government, both local and national. I’ve been an employee, and I’ve been self-employed. I’ve had intensely internal roles, and roles as the face of the company. I’ve been a leader responsible for entire departments and regions, and I’ve been at the very bottom of the chain. I’ve managed teams all over the world, including the U.K., U.S., France, Australia, and Singapore.
By some peoples’ definition I had what could be considered a very successful career, climbing to senior leadership roles in high-achieving companies.
But something was missing.
In time I began to realise that my working achievements weren’t my own. No matter what my “results” were, no matter how far I went, it never felt truly satisfying. It was success as defined by others, not by me. In truth, I felt as though I was walking someone else’s path.
At this point I began working with a coach myself, and it was a life-changing experience. I suddenly became much more aware of who I was and what I wanted. And once I knew that, I could start to work out a plan for how I would get there.
I began to realise my passion was in helping others achieve their potential. My calling was to become a coach myself, to help others overcome their barriers and gain control of their lives. Through my own mental health challenges and those of others around me, I realised this isn’t a test run. We don’t have time to waste living a life we don’t want to live. Whether it’s depression, anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, professional challenges or personal issues, there will never be a better time than right now to get us back on the path we want to be on. Tomorrow might be too late.
With that in mind I obtained a Distinction in an Association for Coaching-accredited diploma in coaching from The Coaching Academy, as well as gaining a separate specialism in Wellbeing Coaching. I used these qualifications to start my own private practice, as well as begin working for the NHS. Now I help others take control of their lives, no matter how impossible that may seem to them at the start of their journey. It is the best decision I have made.
Why I love coaching
To put it simply, coaching is the bridge between where you are right now, and where you want to be.
As detailed when I explained my journey above, my coaching journey began when I hired a coach myself. It soon became clear to me that where I was (sacrificing my mental health in a career and lifestyle I didn’t want) wasn’t where I wanted to be (living a life true to my values and beliefs), and with help from my coach, I began to realise where I wanted to go. For me, that was regaining control of my personal and professional lives. I refocused on my wellbeing and family, and switched to a career in helping others. I’m so glad I made that change, and now feel as though I’m living the kind of life I want for myself.
That is what excites me so much about coaching; it’s about untapped potential. It would be amazing if our lives allowed us to be at our best at all times, but that isn’t the case. Our experiences, obligations and circumstances often conspire to take a lot from us and give little in return. We can end up sleepwalking through life, knowing that things are right but without motivation to do anything about it. The result is a life that’s a fraction of the one we deserve.
The rewarding part of coaching for me is seeing my clients put the attention on their lives that they truly deserve. It isn’t about ripping everything up and starting again, it’s about identifying what we have control of, and what we can do with that knowledge to make it work as well as possible. When we do that, when we start that new journey towards a new way of thinking, it’s amazing what possibilities can open up for us.
If you want to understand more about what coaching is, you can find that at this page: Read More: What Is Coaching?
For more information on what coaching is, what it isn’t, and how it differs from other talking services, I have an article for that. Read More: Coaching vs Counselling, Mentoring & Therapy.
If you’re unsure of what to look for in a coach, I also have an article for that: Read More: How To Find The Right Coach.
