I am not a psychotherapist, clinical psychologist or professionally qualified counsellor.  However, my coaching style certainly helps my clients maintain good mental health, and can provide a lot of the same opportunity for self-reflection, deeper personal understanding and personal growth that therapy/counselling can provide. 

In other words, my coaching approach supports mental well-being, mental fitness and mental flourishing. It helps you develop psychological flexibility to cope better with what life throws at you.

As a coach, I work with people who consider themselves reasonably ‘well’ in mental health terms.  However, I don’t believe there are clear, fixed dividing lines in reality between ‘well’, ‘unwell’ or ‘needing some help’ in what we broadly call ‘mental health’.  I also take the view that mental health ‘symptoms’ are also simply our mind’s own way of coping with what life has thrown at us.

Recent/current world events have combined with the increasingly frenetic pace of life and the harmful effects of modern technology to put everyone’s mental health and well-being under some level of strain. 

In my coaching, I use a number of well-established psychological techniques to help my clients broaden their perspective, their understanding and their ability to cope. 

To help achieve this, I focus on helping my clients grow in key areas that are important for maintaining good mental health, such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, stress-management, making sense of thoughts, feelings and behaviours, having healthy relationships, having a sense of purpose and finding meaning in life. 

My work includes techniques borrowed from counselling, psychotherapy and various fields of psychology, used in ways that are suitable for a coaching context.  I have specific training in coaching people to handle difficult feelings and manage their stress.  I am well-informed and aware about mental illness, trauma and neurodiveristy (especially autism spectrum and ADHD).  I am also in training as a counsellor and an ACT practitioner.

I believe that my style of deeply listening, understanding you, validating how you feel and assisting you to develop those key areas of your life named above can certainly be of enormous help in terms of staying mentally healthy and coping with what life throws at you.  

I have regular supervision from a highly experienced coach supervisor and am always alert to the need to maintain good professional boundaries and take action where I feel that any mental health condition is outside the scope of my skills and competencies. 

On occasion I may recommend that a client tries some psychotherapy, sees a psychologist or speaks to their GP, if I feel that my own skills are not the best for their particular need.   I also ask for emergency contact details from my clients, for use only if I am concerned for their safety.