We have been focusing on the benefits of rest and how our clients require time to recharge. The hope when our clients take a sabbatical or vacation is that they get a break from their daily life and can focus on rest, new experiences and personal discoveries. We hope that they will return refreshed and excited to engage with normal life again, maybe with a new perspective and new ideas…

I often return to the term “posture before words” when considering the necessary skills of a mentor, especially the ability to be a good listener. While our words are important and should be chosen carefully, our active presence as a trustworthy and safe person in someone’s life is a powerful gift. Often the best thing we can do is show up with open hearts and listen attentively to what our clients need to say…

As practitioners, we understand that there are times when our clients have been significantly impacted physically, mentally or emotionally, and need to pause and rest. Similar to an injured footballer, the fans should support his decision to step away and focus on healing and health.  This will allow him to return to the field stronger and sooner than if he continued to play through his injury, making it worse. Sometimes our clients, especially those in caregiving professions, are hesitant to make time for rest, but rest is essential in any journey. Once our client has acknowledged that they are depleted and permit themselves rest, we can help them consider which type of leave would be most effective…

Every time we meet a new person, shake hands and share names, what’s the first question we are asked? More often than not, it’s “What do you do for a living?” Maybe, what we really want to ask is, “Who are you? What are your values?” but these questions are so broad, and yet so personal, that we begin with

Every experienced mentor, coach and supervisor has had to handle clients who have been dealing with abuse. It is a painful moment to recognise that the client in our care is being mistreated, whether it is something seemingly small, like a condescending and controlling boss at work, to something dangerous and severe, such as a violent partner. It is in these moments that we have to ask ourselves, what is our responsibility…

Christmas Message…

In what may seem at first glance, a simple kindness, Jesus washing His disciples feet was a powerful lesson. He was deliberately taking on the position of a servant, washing away the grime and filth of the streets. At one point, Peter protested, saying, “You shall never wash my feet.”  Jesus replied, “Unless, I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:8)…

One of the significant challenges that my mentoring/supervision clients wrestle with is work/life balance and managing the priorities of life. On one hand, we all want to provide for our families and to be great employees. The challenge is that we want to be both a hard worker and dedicate time and energy to those we love most in life. We often face conflict with how to spend our time in a way that feels meaningful, productive and true to who we are…

Why does self-awareness matter? Throughout every individual’s journey of transformation, there are challenges, some small and some seemingly insurmountable.  Without self-awareness, we cannot hope to overcome these challenges, much less lead others in facing their struggles. The sense of self can vary greatly between one person and the next: wise and healthy leaders need to be intentionally developed in this area. There have been various stages of my own life where I felt self-aware, only to look back and realise that there was much I wasn’t seeing. Self-awareness is not some epiphany that comes once in a lifetime and gives all the insight one will ever need; it is a process of continual discovery, and growth of self-awareness often leads to even more questions to ask oneself…