After completing my undergraduate degree in psychology, I had the choice of either accepting an offer of a paid Masters degree to work on brain imaging research or an unpaid place to study Counselling Psychology. I found brain research fascinating and my parents, who were scientists themselves, would have preferred this option. But my heart wasn’t in it to the same degree as it was with Counselling Psychology, which offered the opportunity to have a direct positive impact on people’s lives. So I turned down the paid place and became a Counselling Psychologist instead of a brain researcher, a step that my parents initially found difficult to understand but have since come to support. It was more important to me to do what felt right than what would please others or what I could get paid for.

I completed my training and at one of my jobs I had to make a difficult decision when I was explicitly asked to do things that would mean committing fraud and putting patients’ safety and wellbeing at risk. I could have just left like many others before me, but this would have meant that things could just carry on in the same way. I realised that if I didn’t do something about the problem, then probably nobody would. So I not only quit my job before I had anything else lined up - a risk that I would normally never take - but I also took steps to make the issues known and would be formally investigated to ensure patients were treated the right way and were safe.

 “We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Eventually I started my own practice alongside other psychologist positions. I later took on a role as a manager of a team of international clinicians, while continuing a small practice as a psychologist. In this new management role my focus on collaboration, empathy, and support allowed me to establish strong working relationships with clinicians around the world and helped me to bring them together as a highly motivated and well-organised remote team. I started with little leadership experience but my values and my communication skills as a psychologist allowed me to develop and grow, and to build a cohesive team that the company could rely on to go above and beyond if needed. I decided that these skills could be very valuable in my practice as well and expanded it to include Personal and Executive Coaching.

Eventually my practice expanded to full-time and I now focus primarily on Personal and Executive Coaching. My work as a coach and therapist is always client-led as I help my clients to determine the right path, identify and remove or overcome obstacles, and start moving forward. I trust that my clients already have everything they need to overcome their difficulties inside them, and that they may just need the space and professional support to find the right answers. This means that in my work with clients I don’t just give advice or provide answers. Instead, I help clients to find their own answers and support them along their way. My approach is caring and supportive, and at the same time also I expect clients to be brave, confront some difficult situations, and to do the necessary work. This means being prepared to examine your beliefs and actions and how they may contribute to your problems or how they keep you stuck. If this sounds like the right approach for you I would be delighted to hear from you!

My Qualifications

I am a Personal and Executive Coach and focus primarily on work-life balance, leadership, and team coaching. I am also a Chartered Psychologist with over 10 years of experience working in the voluntary, private, and public sectors.

My coaching expertise in leadership and teams comes from years of experience managing clinicians from Europe, Asia, and North America. In this role I have managed a large group of culturally diverse psychologists, psychiatrists, and other professionals, established excellent working relationships, and built and developed successful teams. My special focus was leadership and management of remote teams and turning a virtual workforce into a well-organised, supportive, and highly motivated team.

As a Psychologist, I have worked at The Priory, within NHS Primary Care settings, for various charities, and in private practice, providing intake assessments and ongoing psychological therapy for patients with mild to moderate mental health problems, both for individuals and groups. I also provided training for other mental health professionals.

I am chartered by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and I am experienced in the treatment of a wide range of difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, social anxiety, low self-esteem, stress- and time management, amongst others. My primary therapeutic approach is Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and I am also experienced in Schema Therapy.

In my work as a Personal and Executive Coach and as a Psychologist, I draw on my experience from both coaching and Psychology, and I can offer a unique perspective because I am able to look at a situation from a management standpoint as well as from the psychology angle, specifically with mental well-being in mind. This allows me to work very well in the overlap area, helping leaders and managers with their work-life balance or with the development and support for their teams.

I can offer coaching or personal therapy in English and German.

Some Fun Facts About Me

My Ascent

One of the lesser-known facts about me is that I struggled with Social Phobia. While my natural personality is leaning towards being outgoing and optimistic, I went through a very shy period as a teenager and was overly concerned about making mistakes or appearing stupid in public, or “uncool” in front of my peers. I didn’t know what it was at the time, so I never had any treatment for it. I eventually overcame it by myself and find that it helps me to empathise with my clients who feel that they are facing insurmountable obstacles.