Who am I?

I help people to speak and to listen, to themselves and each other and I use the words coach, facilitator, mediator and trainer to describe the roles I take.

I’ve spent over 25 years studying conflict and quite a lot longer being caught in it. What I’ve discovered both personally and professionally is that often conflict is a sign that something new is trying to happen. I offer practical frameworks to support this change so that people can move forward with greater awareness and clarity.

Within my professional life I have trained in various disciplines, starting with Creative Listening; taught to me originally in 1983 by the wonderful and challenging Rachel Pinney, who developed it. Through the study of martial arts I bring an embodied awareness to all of my work. I have been an informal student of Process Oriented Psychology for over 20 years which has supported me with both considerable personal development and in drawing different strands of my experience together.

I trained twice as a mediator (1991 and 1996) twice as a coach with John Whitmore (1997) and Global Coaching Institute (2023)

Arbinger and Optimus OD

I am delighted to be working with Optimus OD as a trainer and facilitator delivering Vital Conversations and I have also been certified to work with Arbinger material and processes.  Arbinger works all over the world and helps people and organizations achieve breakthrough results through a profound change in mindset.  

See more here www.arbinger.com and here www.optimusod.com

My strengths

On a personal note, I was a foster carer and this brought me into contact with Attachment Theory and its consequences which impact on many conflict situations. As a carer I was pushed into places where I felt incompetent and unsure about what to do and how to behave. There were times when I became absolutely hooked into negative spirals and needed the help of another person to get out of the loop. Although uncomfortable, these experiences enriched and supported me as well as, I hope, improving my working practices.

One of my strengths is that I have the ability to make most people feel quickly at ease and to move from there to offer challenge in ways that stimulate rather than constrain. I have lots of optimism, usually balanced by realism, and a belief in our ability to find a way through the issues that trouble us. My approach is always changing and developing, usually getting simpler – I’m interested in getting to the heart of a process and removing the ‘fuzz’ that surrounds an idea.  

Underpinning all of my work and approach is the concept that the greater the amount of awareness we can bring into our own lives and their circumstances, the more thoughtfully and ably we will act and the more whole and genuine we will become.

I believe that we all sometimes need help and support and that many of us are reluctant to ask for this – it may show us as inadequate or not totally able. I am prepared to take risks, to model my expectations and to step out of my comfort zone; this, I hope, will support you in doing the same. I also receive supervision and regularly ask other people for help.

I love dancing, being in sunlight, walking my dog,  being near open water, having time to relax, eating well and good company.