My interests

I have always been interested in how we make change – at a systemic and personal level – and this has informed my career and non-paid work. I’ve worked for over 10 years in advocacy, advice and participation work, with a particular focus on working with disabled people and those experiencing mental distress. I have had many cycles of deciding how to live a full life and am currently enjoying nurturing the things that make me feel grounded and bring me joy, looking for challenges and feeling grateful for all the amazing people in my life.

My thoughts on coaching

My experience of being coached has allowed me to identify and work with my strengths. To start with, this was difficult for me to do because as a disabled person the ways I operate don’t always fit neatly into the world around me, or people’s expectations. Coaching has also given me time, space and tools to focus on what I want to be doing, and support and encouragement to do those things in a way that’s difficult to get from other relationships. Coaching has given me new ways to be challenged and new insights into myself and my life.

I love to coach because:

>   I like to see people using their minds and bodies to move in directions where they are more powerful.

>   I like to support people.

>   Coaching is focused on taking practical steps to radically change the way we look at life.

>   It is always a partnership of equals where no one will be fixed, and no one is an expert.

>   It’s challenging and empowering.

My qualification

My coaching training was with the Alchemy of Coaching, an Association for Coaching accredited training course.