About Me
Hi, I’m Angela and my mission is to provide high quality support for care professionals and those in a caring role, so that they can develop personally and professionally, grow positive and resilient mindsets and lead a flourishing life.
I am very good at supporting people facing challenging situations to be at their best, keep a sense of direction and maintain hope.
Some say caring is its own reward. I think it is much more complex than that and that carers deserve the best tools to look after themselves.
I have been a carer of a parent with mental health difficulties and I have experienced many demanding workplaces as a social worker. I know the heavy lifting involved in supporting and nurturing others and while it can be rewarding, meaningful and inspiring, I also know the personal toll it can take. I know too that burn-out isn’t inevitable and that there are other ways of approaching work and attending to self-care that not only work in a remedial capacity to alleviate stress but can also increase your experience of positive emotions, connectedness, engagement and meaning so that you begin to experience a fuller and more flourishing life.
That’s why I now coach social workers to become energised and motivated resilience practitioners. I know that the ‘ten top tips for resilience’ or ‘the three things to do daily’ suggestions that you might receive in your inbox can only go so far. We all have rich and varied emotional histories and unique and idiosyncratic brains that we need to take care of. I offer you the space to hear your own thinking and discover your innate strengths.
Things about me you might like to know:
I got into positive psychology and resilience training when I went on a one day resilience workshop while working in child protection. The practical ideas I got from this really helped in my day to day on the frontline.
This workshop introduced me to mindfulness. I was immediately curious and quickly hooked. I dived in, meditating with the Headspace App and taking mindfulness courses. It has been a major influence for the good in my life over the last ten years.
As a social worker I trained in psychodynamic and systemic therapy. Back in the day I also had my own psychodynamic therapy. It has given me a good base for getting to the heart of individuals and families and understanding wider systems.
I did a master’s degree in later life. It was a huge challenge but very energising and remarkable for how it pushed me to go beyond my own expectations of myself. In my research I dug deep into the literature on post traumatic growth and resilience and I met and studied an extraordinary group of carers who demonstrated resilience in the face of enormous challenge and who had built flourishing lives despite the difficulties they faced.
I’m an avid walker. I like nothing more than heading out for the day on to the hills, or equally into the city to explore new corners. I have a soft spot for the South Downs and the West coast of Ireland. I have run walking groups for people with mental health difficulties. One day I’d like to offer coaching while walking …
I’m really keen on the power of great literature and poetry to inspire and soothe. Exploring poems and extracts from literature can really support resilience work. This is a favourite extract from David Whyte’s poem, Start Close In:
‘Start close in,
don’t take the second step
or the third,
start with the first
thing
close in,
the step
you don’t want to take.’
From David Whyte, River Flow New and Selected Poems
Qualifications
Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology (MAPPCP), University of East London.
Member of the Association of Coaching.
Registered with Social Work England as a social worker.
Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW).
Master’s in Social Work. Royal Holloway College University of London
Bachelor of Arts, English Language and Literature, Oxford University.