About Me &
My Coaching Approach
I offer a curious, warm, safe and spacious welcome to clients and the issues they face. I bring to my coaching years of working in the not-for-profit and education sectors, a deep love of nature and a sense of humour, along with significant experience of active listening, mindfulness, insight and movement meditations, yoga and embodiment.
I live in Oxford and, alongside coaching, work part-time in administration at Oxford University, which continually informs my understanding of working collaboratively within a larger structure, organisational purpose and mission. I have been a voluntary coach within the University’s People and Organisational Development Department.
In coaching I work one-to-one with my client’s unique purpose, mission, approach to work and life, self and in relationship; and the full range of joys and challenges that can bring them.
I am currently a Counsellor in Training. In September 2023 I begin the 2 year CPCAB Level 4 BACP-Approved Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, having completed 2 years of pre-requisite training. This exciting training is developing my naturally therapeutic approach to the deeper issues which can inform our individual obstacles. Tears, fears and other emotional expressions (joy included!) are welcome in the coaching process with me. I know, however, that clients come to me for coaching, not counselling and - equally importantly - limitations of my current status of ‘in-training’. Should those limitations be reached I ensure you will be signposted to qualified counselling / psychotherapeutic support.
My coaching goal and approach
My goal is to support people in developing their own long-term, sustainable capacity for generating lives of fulfilment, meaning and realness.
My approach is one of active listening, open questioning and challenge. The work may incorporate self-reflection and ongoing body practices. In addition to some recognised coaching tools, I may bring in metaphor or poetry, or supportive reading material.
I’m interested in life-long questions such as ‘what needs to develop for me to flourish, at work and at home?’ and ‘how can I bring more of myself to the world?’ So, although I’m happy to support people in achieving their short-term goals or getting better at things, I am deeply interested in what supports the conditions for lasting individual development, increasing self-awareness and an ability to self-correct and self-generate now and in the future: all of which support the reaching of near and far goals and dreams.
Qualifications:
In 2020, during lockdown, I enhanced my coaching skills with an incredibly powerful 4 month online training in Embodied Coaching, which included a module on coaching with a trauma-informed perspective. Previous to that I trained in Integral Development Coaching (1 year in-person training 2017) and Generative Coaching, which incorporates key Neuro-Linguistic Programming concepts and techniques (1 year in-person training 2016).
I am also excited to be studying for my CPCAB Level 4 BACP-Approved Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling at Banbury Counselling Academy (end date July 2025). This follows on from having successfully passed CPCAB Level 2 Counselling Skills and CPCAB Level 3 Counselling Studies.
The Counselling training supports my naturally therapeutic quality that is a connecting seam through all of my work in the world.
“My coaching experience with Amanda was potent and deeply transformative.
Amanda built rapport with me through active listening, tuning in to a mixture of needs jostling for attention and sifting through them deftly. Trust was offered both ways with mutual respect naturally emerging as the process of coaching unfolded.
Sessions consisted of open space for simply allowing ideas and emotions to be expressed as well as focused work on specific goals. I was encouraged in between sessions to experiment with new practices using journaling, mindfulness and meditation techniques.
I would recommend Amanda to anyone who is ready and willing to meet more of themselves!”
— BM, Oxfordshire