Qualifications
Diploma in Transformational Coaching, accredited by the Association for Coaching
Associate Member of the Association for Coaching – a professional body dedicated to promoting best practice and raising the awareness and standards of coaching worldwide
CertMedEd (Dundee) – including modules on Doctors in Difficulty / Cultural Competence. Specialised in Therapeutic Rapport and Communication skills
Management Module at Masters Level, University of Warwick
GP Mentorship Development Programme, University of Coventry
Courses attended:
NLP; Motivational Interviewing; Coaching using SETGO; 3 Principles Coaching; One of Many Be Fruitful and Coaching for Women; Clean Language; Emotional Intelligence; Coaching for Resilience; Positive Psychology
I provide local and international webinars and facilitating small group work focussed on wellbeing as well as being a Training Programme Director for a local GP scheme.
I feel strongly that our training is flawed. We are not empowered to question our career choices nor to value our own wellbeing. Many of us jump through the hoops only to ask “Is this it?”
I am delighted to now be in a position to warmly support and challenge my colleagues to answer that, and many other questions for themselves.
About Me
I “knew” from the age of 13 that I wanted to be a doctor. I had a few minor bumps but mostly sailed through med school and GP training. I loved it and found it both terrifying and thrilling at times. At my medical school entrance interview I said I thought that being a doctor was a privilege. I still believe that it can be.
General Practice was ideal to allow me to develop and experiment with my portfolio, as well as allowing gaps for travel/ expedition medicine and the ability to explore other specialities. My time as a GP Training Programme Director helped me to develop my love of teaching, particularly communication skills, and helping doctors in difficulty.
I have worked both as a locum and a GP partner. It felt like a failure to admit I wasn’t happy in my job as a partner and also that I really wasn’t well. Burn out had crept up on me a few years ago which led to a decision to leave my partnership. After recovering this has fuelled my passion to support colleagues to prioritise their mental health and wellbeing.
Sarah was friendly, easy to talk to, helpful and accommodating when it came to moving sessions. I valued her experience and knowledge and appreciated the time to talk things over with someone who understood the situation.
What I learned, Importantly, was that I am not alone.
Sarah has really helped by acting as a sounding board to all the things going on in my head. It has been helpful to have her validate certain things and she has signposted me to things that I hadn’t considered.
What I took away from the coaching was that it is OK to ask for help and that it’s OK to ask for ways in which to make work more enjoyable and more financially advantageous.