Writer, Life Coach, Mentor

Is there a project that you want to commence, progress or finish, but you just don't know how? Have you lost faith in your ability to do the thing? Are you feeling burnt out or overwhelmed?Coaching is solutions-focused. By keeping an eye on the future and keep moving forward, we will find a way to unlock your energy and achieve whatever it is you dream of achieving.Deep down we all have the answers we need. I will help you access them, and find the inner resources to achieve your goals in a way that nourishes and inspires you, so that you can spread your wings into the life you always wanted to live.

Work with me

CoachingI believe that with the right support we can achieve whatever we want. In our coaching sessions, the emphasis is on supporting you in finding the answers within yourself. Using a 'listening heart', I provide a structure in which you can do this. You will leave our sessions empowered with a plan for how to move forward.You can have a single session or an open-ended number, as you wish. If you choose to work over several sessions, we track your progress in the sessions and keep identifying what supports you and keeps you moving forward.To find out if you would like to work with me, I offer a free 30 minute call to answer any questions you may have. This is also a good opportunity to see whether we are a good fit for each other.MentoringThis is a more long-term approach. I work with you over an extended period, having regular half hour or hour-long sessions to which you bring questions relating to your ongoing project or artistic practice. I share my experience as well as utilising coaching techniques.I work on zoom or can see you face to face at my home in North Norfolk.Fees£75 per hour for both coaching and mentoring. This includes reading up to 5,000 words of your writing before a session, if required. Every additional 1,000 words is £10.

About

I am a writer, public speaker, journalist and campaigner.I have worked in the UK and abroad as a journalist and in the charity sector for over 20 years. I have experience of both working for, and as a trustee for small charities. I am currently Chair of Save Europe's Heritage. When I ran SAVE Britain's Heriage, we successfully saved many buildings, including Smithfield General Market in London and the Welsh Streets in Liverpool. I was also Director of Pushkin House, London, overseeing a number of collaborative and challenging exhibitions. Whilst there I set up a poetry residency and a music festival.I need my inner and my outer life and sometimes when I gave too much to my outer life I got burnt out. My creative practice has helped me recover from burn out on more than one occasion. Today, I have cultivated a self-compassionate approach to work. Another huge and important support in my life is the 12 Step programme, that I have been attending for over a decade.I live in North Norfolk with my husband and several animals, and a lively (mostly online) writing community. I swim in the sea all year round, and write everyday (well, almost!) I am working on a non-fiction book that combines memoir, interviews and social history, about Childlessness, as well as a novel.In 2025 I completed coaching training with 1st Relational Dynamics. This was a natural step for me after benefitting from coaching at key points in my life.

Testimonials

'I felt free to talk about what I wanted, always free from judgment. I felt very “heard” and understood.''Breaking down tasks into more manageable blocks is helpful – going step by step for blocks of work that otherwise seem impossible to get done.''I've learnt to trust myself and believe in myself more. It has been good for my self esteem.''I’ve become a better listener to friends and family. Inspired no doubt by the coaching.'

Resources

Here are some of the things that I find helpful:Online writingThe London Writers Salon organise regular writing hours (a choice of three per day, starting with a slot at 8am UK time) when writers get together to write online for 50 minutes. The sessions are well structured. It is amazing how much more I get done when I am writing with other people.Another online writing platform, run by Gemma Seltzer (who also has a great newsletter), [Write & Shine[( https://write-and-shine.com/||blank) is a mixture of early online morning workshops on different themes often run by different writers and poets. There is also an online library of creative courses that you can access for a small monthly fee.BooksThe Artist’s Way When stuck I read the Basic Principles and the Affirmations before I start writing.Aimee McNee, otherwise known as Inspired to Write on Instagram, is a champion advocate of journaling and recent author of the galvanising - We Need Your Art.Write It All Down by Cathy Rentzenbrink is a book I often recommend as is Bird by Bird by Anne Lammot.I also recommend:
How to Write by Anthony Anaxagorou, and
I Didn’t Do the Thing Today by the brilliant Madeleine Dore, whose substack I love.