This week has certainly given me something to think about following the result of the EU referendum. The outcome was not what I was expecting and I found that a little ‘self’ coaching was required to steady myself and refocus for a different future.

As the UK now faces a period of uncertainty and change the first thing I decided was to maintain my growth and positive mindset. Taking this approach enables me to keep an open mind, consider things from different perspectives and see the result as a challenge and an opportunity to learn.

As I coached my school students last week, it was interesting for me to listen to what they had to say about the EU. The majority wanted to remain in the EU as they felt it was good for the economy and would open up career opportunities for them outside of the UK. They also felt that it was easier to travel and work in EU countries with an EU passport and were concerned about this if we were to come out. It is a shame that most of these young people were unable to vote as the decision will certainly have an impact on their futures.

My Mum always used to say ‘A change is as good as a rest’ so with that in mind plus my positive approach and growth mindset I am ready to see what happens as we leave the EU.

If you are feeling uncertain following the referendum and need to refocus and set some new goals then please contact me.

I have just had a super weekend with a brilliant group of new coaching diploma students. It is unusual to get a female only group, and this weekend that is exactly what Curly Martin and I had. There was lots of learning and coaching plus the fun and banter was highly entertaining.

Working with a variety of ladies, including a recruitment director, a child protection chairperson and a young peoples support worker has been thought provoking and inspiring and the combination made for a most interesting weekend.

Watching this group of ladies on their coaching weekend has been amazing. Seeing them start out feeling uncomfortable and unsure, then watching them develop and grow as they implement Curly’s coaching techniques and strategies, is such a rewarding experience. I feel very privileged to have been part of their journey assisting them in their coaching education.

I really enjoy the variety that my coaching business gives me. Working with both young people and adults means my coaching skills are constantly developing in a variety of areas enabling me to grow into the outstanding coach and mentor that I want to be.

If you feel that life coaching will make a difference to you and your life then please contact me so that we can start to make that change.

This week I attended a presentation by Reading University’s Professor Laurie Butler, Head of School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences and some of his team regarding anxiety and depression in children and young people.

The evening was well attended by teachers and people who work with children and young people. We were told about local clinical research that is currently taking place regarding anxiety and depression in young people.  Schools and young people were advised to look at the Andy Research Clinic for useful information and how to get involved with the clinical research projects and who to contact.

They also talked about MindEd which provides E-Learning support for parents and professionals to support healthy young minds.

Professor Shirley Reynolds then spoke about ‘The Brave Program‘ which is a CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) treatment program which can be used for anxious or depressed teenagers. Clinical research shows  that this is an effective method of treating anxiety and depression in young people. During the Q&A session the clinical panel were asked about other therapies such as Hypnotherapy  and if it was an effective alternative, they had no clinical evidence and CBT was their only recommended form of treatment.

I found this rather interesting as in my experience of coaching all my students, I feel that a one size fits all approach is not always successful. I find looking at an individual’s needs and creating a specific strategy to enable them to cope and move forward is what gets them the best results. I may use some CBT as well as integrating NLP (neuro linguistic programming), Yoga and Mindfulness techniques. Combine that with some life and soft skills and so the transformation begins.

The Q&A panel also spoke about a ‘Whole School Approach’ which piqued everyone’s interest although there was very little information about it as it is still under construction. Having a whole school approach where all relevant people from parents, schools, CAMHs, childrens services, would mean that fewer children fall through the gap and there would be consistency in their treatment across the board.

I found the Q&A session at the end very useful and the variety of questions was very informative.  It certainly gave me food for thought on how to continue to grow and improve my practice so that I can make an even bigger difference to my students.

If you are interested in the service I provide to schools and my clients then please contact me.

I was standing in the coffee shop queue this week and a soft voice called my name. I turned round to see one of my old school students smiling back at me.

It was so lovely to catch up and hear all about what my student had been doing and where they were going on to study. What I also noticed was their positivity, focus and happiness. This was amazing as my student had previously really struggled with several aspects of life and life in general was a very dark and miserable place for quite some time.

The transformation was stunning and it definitely made my day. It had me beaming for the rest of the afternoon as this was a student I had coached for almost a year and had grown to know very well. Knowing that I have played a small part in making a difference to their life is the whole reason I do my job and it is times like these that make me feel very happy and proud to do what I do.

If you know of a young person that is struggling with life in one way or another and would benefit from life coaching, then please contact me.