Hello I’m Julie
and helping you tackle workplace problems: difficult relationships, team conflict, anxiety and stress is my thing!
I work with individuals and I work with teams. I work online and in person in St Leonards on Sea or in London.
How did I get here?
Have you ever worked where colleagues were unhappy? Where morale was low and trust between colleagues was lacking?
Over twenty years ago I worked in an open-plan office alongside different teams with a variety of tasks. We were committed and dedicated and we worked long hours. Many of us were stressed. I suffered regularly from debilitating headaches. The light and the sound of the space was tested and met all industry standards but something in our environment was not right. I respected and admired many of my colleagues who were knowledgeable and skilled but somehow, together as a group, we seemed to add up to less than the sum of our parts. Relationships between colleagues ranged from friendly to mildly interested to deeply hostile.
I couldn’t make sense of it and it bothered me.
Group Relations – what's that?
Then I discovered something called Group Relations. These are immersive, group experiences which explore group dynamics in the moment, while they are happening (kind of hard to explain). The Group Relations experience revealed to me a whole other level of understanding of what’s going on below the surface at an unconscious level in groups while everyone thinks they are just doing their job. I began to see the world differently. I was buzzing for months.
Study at the Tavistock
I decided to join a Master’s programme at the Tavistock Clinic in London to study how the theory behind Group Relations (‘systems psychodynamic’) applied in the workplace. I moved jobs. The course combined theory and application through experiential learning. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. By the end when I submitted my dissertation I was exhausted. But I was also certain I wanted to work with groups in organisations to help resolve those awkward, stressful, confusing, conflictual situations that I had experienced. I wanted to work skillfully with individuals too so I trained as a coach.
I continued working in my full-time role for several more years applying and developing the learning in real-life work situations. I coached and worked with groups as a side hussle and in 2021 I also joined the faculty of the Master’s course at the Tavistock that had changed my life.
I was working long days and evenings and often at weekends.
Time to take make a change
There were lots of interesting aspects to my full-time job but I often thought someone else could do it. At the same time, the pull to gather up all my life’s learning so far and focus on coaching, consulting and teaching – to really make a difference to people’s lives - got stronger and stronger.
So, now I work as a coach to individuals and consultant to teams. I’m a Visiting Lecturer on two Master’s programmes at the Tavistock Clinic in London. I design and deliver workshops on leadership skills. I’m still working hard and I’m very happy.
Qualifications and Credentials
- Masters in Consulting and Leading in Organisations – a psychodynamic and systems approach (with Merit) Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust / University of East London
- Diploma in Transformational Coaching (Animas Centre for Coaching)
- Certificates in Somatic, Group and Existential Coaching (Animas Centre for Coaching)
- Ten years as senior leader in a membership organisation supporting international students in the UK (UKCISA)
- Accredited by the International Coach Federation (ACC)
- Continued Professional Development through coaching webinars, coaching peer group, group work supervision, Tavistock CPD and Group Relations.
Other things I’m proud of
I taught English in Spain for a couple of years. I learned to live in another language and I learned to take life a bit less seriously.
I lived in Japan for five years. I learned to live in an even more different (and difficult) language and when I returned to the UK I studied for a Masters in Advanced Japanese at the University of Sheffield.
I was interviewed on Radio 4’s Today programme by John Humphrey defending international students in the UK.
UKCISA winning membership of the year at international education industry awards in 2023. We were a great team.
I’ve written a novel. It’s not published...yet. I’m working (not enough) on my second one.
My values
How I work
When I commit to doing something, I give it my all. I don’t like shortcuts and I only take the easy option if it’s the right choice. Sometimes that has made life a lot more difficult but it has also made it a lot more interesting. I need time alone because I value time to think and reflect and process but I do my best work with others. I work extremely hard and I persevere when that gets hard. I love collaborating and my happiest, most fulfilling place is where I find myself working with others who are also deeply committed to what we are doing. I’ve done a lot of formal study in my life and the learning will never end.
Who I work with
I work with senior leaders. I work with middle managers. I work with people between jobs. I believe you don’t need to be in a senior leadership role to benefit from coaching and I offer low-cost coaching locally.
I work alone and I collaborate with other experienced colleagues.
How I work with you
If you choose to work with me, I will give it my all. I don’t really know how to do it any other way. I will speak directly and I will speak from my heart as well as my head. Through my own coaching, I learned that one of my strongest values is joy. I know life and work can be incredibly challenging and difficult and painful but I will work with you to locate the goodness that is always also somewhere in the mix.
Connect with me
Sign up to my newsletter and I’ll send you tips and ideas that you can reflect on and apply in your day-to-day work. I’ll support you to reduce stress, boost your confidence and enhance your professional development. You’ll also be first to know about new courses or events I am running. You can unsubscribe at any time.
When you sign up you will be invited to join Julie’s (free) Coaching Club (‘Uplifting’ ‘an inspirational start to the day!) - monthly online 30-minute group coaching sessions.
