My Coaching Journey
My professional roots are in education. As a science teacher, trainer and coach educator, I have always been fascinated by how people learn, grow and unlock their potential. Coaching allowed me to combine my experience as an educator with my commitment to developing others.
The journey was not always straightforward. In 2021, I came close to walking away from coaching because I was questioning where I belonged and whether I could build a sustainable future within the profession. Instead, I chose to deepen my practice and commit fully to the craft.
I completed my Level 2 Coaching Diploma in 2022, became a qualified mentor coach and assessor, and achieved my PCC credential. Within three years, I had progressed to become Director of Education for an ICF Level 1-accredited coach-training programme. Through this work, I discovered that training and developing coaches is where my experience, strengths and passion come together.
How UK Chapter Membership has Helped
My involvement with the ICF UK Chapter has connected me to something larger than my own practice. Coaching can sometimes feel isolating, particularly when coaches are building their professional identity, developing a business or working towards a credential. The Chapter provides a professional community grounded in shared values, ethical responsibility and a commitment to continuous development.
As an educator, it is incredibly important to me that the coach training I deliver represents the high standards of the ICF. I am not simply teaching coaching techniques. I am helping coaches understand the responsibility that comes with holding space for another person. This includes embodying the ICF Core Competencies, maintaining ethical boundaries, remaining reflective and committing to their own ongoing development.
My membership keeps me connected to the wider profession and strengthens my understanding of the standards I represent when training, mentoring and assessing coaches.
Becoming an Associate Board Member within the Membership and Marketing team has allowed me to contribute more directly. I support work that helps members feel informed, represented and connected while increasing the visibility of professional coaching.
As an immigrant and a woman of colour, it also matters deeply to me that coaches from different backgrounds see themselves represented within our professional bodies and recognise that their voices, experiences and contributions belong within the coaching profession.
The Difference it Has Made
My journey has taken me from almost leaving coaching to becoming a PCC-credentialed coach, supporting more than 200 coaching students and contributing to the development of accredited coach-training programmes.
I have delivered hundreds of hours of coach training and mentor coaching while creating spaces where coaches can practise, receive honest feedback and develop confidence in their craft.
Chapter involvement has strengthened my determination to train coaches who do more than gain a qualification. I want to develop reflective, highly skilled and ethical practitioners who understand and consistently embody the standards of professional coaching.
Advice to Members
Do not treat this membership as something passive. Attend events, introduce yourself, volunteer and become part of the conversation. You do not need to wait until you feel completely confident or established. Confidence grows through participation, practice and connection. The more you contribute to the community, the more opportunities you create to learn, build meaningful relationships and help shape the future of coaching.
“I want to develop coaches who do more than qualify, they confidently and ethically embody the standards of professional coaching.”
