From a Drinking Loop
TO EMPOWERMENT
Me, the naughties
I grew up around alcohol and by the naughties I was drinking to have fun, socialise and relax, and while everything appeared great on the outside, it wasn't on the inside. I was in a repetitive cycle of working hard and then drinking.
I let my lifestyle undo all the hard work I'd put into my career, my relationships and my fitness, and go weeks at a time without drinking, but then soon after I'd slide back into my drinking lifestyle.
If I Wanted My Future To Change, I Had To Change
But I couldn't get the support I needed. People would say,
'You don't have a drink problem, why would you stop drinking?', 'Just have one!' or 'You work hard, you deserve it!'
People looked at my alcohol free curiosity like a punishment I was inflicting on myself, but I knew a break from drink had to mean more opportunities in my life. Soon after I was asked by a friend of a friend to be a practice client for her life coaching course, and I jumped at the chance, and I worked with her as I experimented with alcohol free living.
Everything Changed When I Took a Longer Break From Drink
I fell in love with personal development, trained as an NLP practitioner with, Dr. Richard Bandler, and quickly started to coach people. I put all of the time, money and energy I had previously put into my drinking lifestyle, into other areas of my life. One day I gave a talk about alcohol free living and a woman in the audience said to me,
'Alcohol's like paint stripper, if you drink too much, over time it will slowly take from you, and eventually you're left with less than you thought you'd have - in every area of your life.'
I felt her words in the pit of my stomach, because I realised that the consequences of my drinking lifestyle had got worse over the years, and I knew if I spent the next decade doing the same as I had the previous decade, I wouldn't be equipped to create the life and future I truly wanted.
Since being alcohol-free I want to show as many women as possible how amazing life can be. I've trained in many different modalities (NLP, EFT, Somatics), which have the power to create a smoother transition to alcohol free living and create personal transformation for my clients.
I've also deepened my understanding by learning more through further deep academic study within personal development, neuroscience and the nervous system. I completed my masters level at university (coaching ambitious individuals who were stuck or held back due to the consequences of their drinking lifestyle; striving not thriving).
Being Alcohol-free Wasn't an Inconvenience - It Was A GIFT
Especially the simple things like being in the moment during story time with my son, walks in nature with my whippet or a spa day with a good friend. Being alcohol-free means having so much more of everything else. And when spending quality time with loved ones, whether it's water skiing, eating out or running a marathon, these days, I'm in the moment enjoying every minute. I'm not of thinking about whether to drink or not. I feel liberated and I save so much time and energy by not drinking or being hungover.
Alcohol Controlled My Emotions, My Moods & My Energy Levels
Alcohol controlled my emotions, my moods, my energy levels and so much more. It had a negative impact on my relationships, my life and my work, today, knowing how to control and change my emotional state has been a positive game-changer in my life.
I say to women who are thinking of taking a break from their drinking lifestyle, that I wish I could transport them into the future so they could experience how they would feel if they put some distance between themselves and alcohol.
I don't have a magic time machine, but I do know how to help you implement game-changing tools and techniques that have helped me and so many other women feel empowered and see what's possible.
I live in the UK with my fiancé, our little boy and our whippet.
I love being with the family and spending quality time with friends. I enjoy travel, walks in nature and exploring new restaurants, tea rooms & coffee shops.
I like (but limit) scrolling time for property, interior design & fashion.
I enjoy reading about neuroscience, positive psychology, human behaviour & human potential,
CREDENTIALS
Experience & Street Cred
• Alcohol-Free since the naughties.
• Mentored and coached hundreds of women exclusively (Executive coaching, addiction coaching, grey area drinking coaching and 'Ambition Meets Drinking Lifestyle' coaching.)
• Sabbatical in 2009 to train and practice coaching through voluntary work: speaker and 1:1 coach, workshop facilitator in colleges, schools, corporate, rehabs & prisons.
• 15 years corporate experience (navigated a male dominated industry and the only woman on my team of engineers for approx 4 years).
• Positions held (over 20 yrs): Engineer, Business Improvements, Project Manager & Change Agent, Corporate Coach, Speaker, Facilitator, Workshop Creator & Secretary of the BT Women's Network.
• 2020 - now : Became a first time mum a week into the COVID19 lockdown.
While also being at home with my young son, I worked part time as a coach, continued my professional study and project managed the building works and refurbishments of two residential properties.
Education & Certs
• University Of Chester: Post Graduate: Transformational Coaching (Addiction and Grey-area-drinking), University Of Cambridge: Executive Coaching & ACTP Gold Standard Coaching ICF Accredited, Barefoot Coach Training: Personal & Business.
• Neuro Linguistic Practitioner (NLP) trained with Dr. Richard Bandler
The Society of NLP Accredited
• BA (Honours) Humanities: Effective Performance at Work, Business Studies, Writing and Communication
• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Practitioner
(EFT International Accredited Course)
• Neurosomatics, Meditation & Reiki Master Practitioner
• Excellent Performance certification from BT for my role as a desk based network engineer on high profile projects; Olympic Games, National Broadband Launches & Royal Events.
• Corporate Certifications (that can be useful in my work today): Lean Operational Change Agent & Prince 2 Project Manager.
Additional Techniques
• Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT / Tapping)
• Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Mental Rehearsal
• Nervous System Regulation, & Personal Energy Management
And more.
NOTE: The techniques I use are grounded in evidence from psychology or neuroscience.
• Overcoming certain things have helped me help my clients: a challenging childhood, grey area drinking, the impact of other people's addictions, burnout, a first time mum in my 40s a week into the COVID19 lockdown (and more).
HOW TO Socialise Alcohol-Free,
Unapologetically,
With Confidence
FREE GUIDE ( 6 KEY STEPS )
Learn Quickly. Use Forever
Easy, Actionable & FREE !
My work is designed to help you create long term positive change and create an authentic, enjoyable life.
Working with me isn't a 'quick fix' that empowers you for a day, my work is grounded in evidence from studies, including psychology and neuroscience. While working with my clients I draw on my professional training, my postgraduate education, and years of additional deep study within various areas of personal development.
My clients often tell me that the struggles I overcame when my drinking lifestyle met my ambition, led them to feel understood as they try to navigate their own lifestyle. And that their aspirations felt more achievable as we explored their curiosity for being alcohol-free - with both intention and purpose.
If you're open-minded, and ready to step away from the chaos, take back control of your life, relationships and work, you can create the future and life you've worked so hard for, together we can identify what's been blocking you from moving forward, and start to build the strong foundations you need to thrive.
With your commitment, the right tools, and my guidance, you'll learn how to enter a new way of being - and a new paradigm, full of personal empowerment and possibility. Within this alcohol-free paradigm, you can make the positive changes you've been striving for and go on to thrive.
My clients get results because I'm honest with them, in ways their family or work colleagues aren't or can't be. I help them realise how their lifestyle and negative thinking impacts how they see themselves and how they see others, and the negative impact this can have on their life, relationships and work.
I challenge my clients' unhelpful thoughts and show them how to think differently, and how to keep momentum going when it gets tough, when they feel like going back to their old unhelpful habits. Together we turn their uncertainty into a 'can do' attitude that leads to positive action.
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