Over the past 18 years, I have worked in a number of different primary schools as a class teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and Head Teacher. In 2007, a training programme with a company called “Chrysalis” completely revolutionised my teaching approach, revealing the crucial connection between emotions and behaviour, and taught me how to respond to children EFFECTIVELY, rather than from a place of reactivity. With the support of “Chrysalis” our school of 200 students received a boost for an entire year, introducing us to new methods and integrating fresh insights.
Throughout my career, I have had a deep passion for assisting children who struggle to manage their emotions. Other than a 2 year break when I had my son, I have worked as either a Deputy Head Teacher or Head Teacher since 2011. Throughout this experience, I delved further into supporting children facing social, emotional, and behavioural challenges and became more invested in supporting the PARENTS of these children. I quickly came to understand that the biggest support we can offer a family is to look after the wellbeing of the parents, and equip them with the knowledge and skills that they need to juggle the demands of parenting.
In the subsequent years, I collaborated with a variety of professionals – from Social Workers to Speech Therapists, Primary Mental Health workers, psychologists, nurses and more – to advocate for hundreds of children in need. This collaborative effort with various agencies shed light on the complex hurdles many families encounter and the array of solutions available. Alongside this, I excelled in coaching training tailored for educators, eventually joining a group of trainers to pass on this knowledge to fellow teachers and leaders in the local education community.
My son, Matthew, came along in 2018. Balancing a demanding career and being a mother to an energetic 5-year-old kept me constantly busy and despite my experience as a Head Teacher, I quickly found a disparity between theory and real- life parenting! This realisation led me to explore self-care and further enhance my
comprehension of the mind-body connection and its significance in successful parenting.
The position of a Parent Coach is my dream job. It merges all my passions into one role, enabling me to utilise my knowledge, skills, and experience to offer support and guidance to others. Currently, my main focus is on helping parents handle their reactivity, set clear and nurturing boundaries for their children, and address their children’s needs and emotions proactively rather than reacting to their behaviour. If this resonates with you and you aspire to do the same, I would be delighted to be a part of your journey.
