Learning together An Action Learning Set (ALS) is a group of professionals who work in a structured way to solve work-related issues using coaching questioning techniques. “If you think you understand the problem, make sure you’re not deceiving yourself” Einstein ALS were pioneered by Reginald "Reg" William Revans (14 May 1907 – 8 January 2003). He was a scientist and research physicist working and researching in the Cavendish laboratories in Cambridge with world leading scientists. It was in this research environment that he experienced problem solving and learning thanks to working with ..read more

Outcomes of a systematic review As part of my humanistic integrative counselling diploma, I carried out a systematic review on the topic of burnout in therapists. I will share a summary of my findings with you because these can be helpful to identify causes leading up to burnout as well as interventions and strategies to prevent it not only in therapists but also in other “helping” professions. What is burnout? The term “burnout” was introduced by the American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger in the 1970s to describe the consequences of severe stress and high ideals in “helping” professi ..read more

Avoidance is a false economy I was recently offered a professional opportunity which, on the face of it, looked like a perfect fit. As I started to get involved in it, I soon realised it was not going to deliver what it had initially promised. I knew I had to leave it but all the actions which would have released me from that commitment felt difficult. Although I was stuck, unsupported and dissatisfied, this seemed easier to put up with than the challenging conversations I would have needed to have in order to move on.   Eventually and with the skilful listening, insightful questioning ..read more

Avoidance as a false economy I was recently offered a professional opportunity which, on the face of it, looked like a perfect fit. As I started to get involved in it, I soon realised it was not going to deliver what it had initially promised. I knew I had to leave it but all the actions which would have released me from that commitment felt difficult. Although I was stuck, unsupported and dissatisfied, this seemed easier to put up with than the challenging conversations I would have needed to have in order to move on.   Eventually and with the skilful listening, insightful questioning ..read more

Why it just makes sense With this month’s Movember and today’s International Men’s Day bringing our attention to men’s mental and physical health, my mind goes to the topic of Yoga for men. Since the beginning of my career as a Yoga teacher, sharing this practice with more men has been a goal of mine. I was (and still am) very aware of the lack of balance in most Yoga classes where the majority of students were and still are usually women. As a Yoga teacher and studio founder and manager, I wondered how we could reach the other half of our potential client base more successfully. What was st ..read more

How to stop doing too much Working out what one wants is not always easy. From my personal and professional experience as a coach, I've found evidence of this especially when working with female clients. The word "want" in itself is almost taboo whilst "should" and "must" are frequently overused. There seem to be a reoccurring emphasis on one's duties to others as opposed to oneself.   Through the honest and transparent conversations of my coaching sessions, I have witnessed women experiencing deeply uncomfortable feelings of selfishness and guilt at the use of the word "want" when in r ..read more

Maximise your full potential The simplest way to understand coaching is to think of it as a process . Like all processes, it involves a series of steps leading to the end goal. This end goal is always the client’s realisation of their full potential. Of course, there is more to coaching the above explanation. Let’s have a look at some definitions of coaching:   “Partnering with clients in a thought provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential.” The International Coaching Federation (ICF)   "A collaborative solution-focused ..read more

Yoga and diet “Many people have the idea that a Yogi is a starved and haggard man, a skin and bone specimen. They are mistaken. A Yogi takes great care of his body” Devi, 1953:55   I don’t remember exactly at which point of my Yoga teacher training I become aware of Indra Devi but I have a very clear memory of the effects her books had on me. As I read through her original 1950s texts, with their yellowed pages which contained surprisingly contemporary, down-to-earth and accessible advice, I remember wondering how we could still be getting it so wrong when 60 years earlier we already k ..read more