Please read on for details of my experience, qualifications, checks, insurance and membership of professional bodies.
My Personal Change Journey
In my mid twenties, I decided to change careers, giving up employment for a while and studying for a Diploma and Masters to do so. In my early forties I became a qualified Life Coach as well, setting up Acorn Academy to help people on their growth, wellbeing and change journeys.
Throughout my life there have been times where I have struggled to cope with negative childhood experiences, financial and career difficulties, being adopted, narcissistic friendships, work overload, anxiety and stress. I have also lost my Mum and Grandparents and so have personal experience of bereavement, grief and loss.
As a result of accumulative stress and not taking care of myself, in November 2015, weighing 23 stone and experiencing a number of serious health conditions, my doctor told me that if I carried on living the way I was, eating unhealthily, being stressed and being sedentary, I would not live to see my 50th birthday; I was 1 week away from turning 40!
As a wife and mother, daughter and auntie, this shocked me in to action and in January 2016 I started my own personal therapy to work through my issues, and then engaged in coaching to work out and action the next steps. I also began a weight loss and fitness journey that would see me losing (and maintaining a loss) of 9 stone, as well as becoming a runner, swimmer and cyclist. In 2018 I also became a Run Leader and Mental Health Champion with Run Together, setting up SlimFit5k to help others manage their physical and mental health.
These changes were by no means as easy to do as to write about, and I had to personally draw on many of the strategies I employ with my coaching and social care clients. But, it was worth the hard work and it continues to be so.
More information about my personal journey to self care and learning to thrive is in my blog, ‘My Journey to Self Care’
Professional Experience
I am a qualified Life Coach and a qualified Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner and work with people from all walks of life around a miriad of issues. Ongoing CPD includes Grief, Bereavement and loss training through both Cruse and Relate. In addition, I have also been a qualified Advanced Practitioner within social care settings for 18 years, as well as a trainer and lecturer for 16 years.
I have worked with people from many different backgrounds, who each bring their own stories and life experiences to our work together. I work in a way that helps each individual be the expert on their own lives whilst guiding and facilitating any changes they need or want to make. I have extensive experience of both group and one to one working and make an effort to approach each person in a way that fits with their learning styles.
I have also previously worked for a charity providing one to one peer mentoring and support around understanding and changing behaviour. This has been telephone based in the most part.
In addition, I have 16 years training experience delivering my own and other people’s training packages and workshops in a variety of group settings on a number of topics, including Domestic Abuse, Safeguarding, Brief Solution Focused Therapy, Effective Communication, Making effective Changes, Attachment Minded Practice and Attachment Minded Parenting. In addition, I have 10 years experience of lecturing at Warwick University on Direct Work, Effective Communication, Assessments and Change.
Acorn Academy Coaching 