About Me
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My Qualifications and Experience
My experience combines professional coaching, teaching and writing. I've worked as a teacher, coach and mentor for over thirty years and I'm a published author.
My career began when I started teaching English in the south, relocating from the north east, near Durham.
After many years as a teacher, I took a sideways step into career coaching working with clients on career change and combining this with writing two books on education (self-help for parents and students.)
That led into writing for the media and for fifteen years I was a freelance writer contributing features to The Times, Telegraph, Guardian, Independent, numerous websites and magazines.
A number of my coaching clients were writers, artists and designers and this is now my focus. Some of my former clients are now published authors or successful journalists.
- 15 years' experience as a Writing Coach and Mentor
- Qualified Coach, Diploma 2005
- Qualified Teacher of English (Durham University)
- Published author and writer for national broadsheets and websites
And I've had coaching too for my writing. I appreciated the power of having a supportive coach. And I bring that personal experience to my coaching to benefit my clients.
I live in a village in North Hertfordshire. I love getting my boots on and walking over the hills, which is a great place to mull over my own writing. I also enjoy a certain amount of city life, especially art exhibitions in London. Sometimes I pop into the British Library (wonderful) to their latest exhibitions (and not forgetting a cuppa and cake.)
And, of course, I read. Anything from the classics (I'm working my way through some unread Dickens) to my favourite writers, including Faulks, Boyd, McEwan, Anne Tyler, Jojo Moyes, Kate Atkinson, Maggie O'Farrell, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbara Pym and too many more to mention.
How I Work
I bring all my experience to coaching. I want to work with you collaboratively, to bring out your best. I understand the peaks and troughs of writing, but also how an idea can appear from nowhere and how you want to develop it, bouncing your ideas off someone.
I also understand how writing is not simply about wanting to write, but finding the time and self-belief to fit it into a busy life. Coaching is not only about what you write but how you manage your work-life balance to allow yourself space to be creative.
My aim is to offer you as much flexibility as you need. Options include a one-off session or something longer-term, to keep you on track. The focus can be on motivation and accountability only, or you can combine those with reading your work, supporting its development and preparing it for submission.
I only work with a handful of clients. This is because I want to offer you the very best support you can have and not spread myself too thinly
I'm also experienced as a career and life coach with artists and designers who want to explore their creative side more fully.
If you think we can work together use the form to get in touch. Tell me a bit about yourself and what you want to achieve.
