“Through my coaching sessions with Sarah I have learnt that I am in control of my own happiness. Before, I believed that my career and my relationships with colleagues and friends was dependent on others, but now I am able to see that I have total control over myself and the way people perceive and relate to me. Not long after meeting Sarah I had an interview and got my ‘dream job’ and my state of mind thanks to the sessions had a huge part to play in this. I still have set backs and sometimes my mind slips into old thought patterns, but now I know there is another way of being, I am able to pull myself out of these times.”

“Following a period of illness my confidence took a major tumble. I no longer felt capable of running my business and was almost ready to pack it all in. I met Sarah at a networking event and decided to give the Birdtable a go. I am so glad I did. Sarah provided a safe interactive space where fears and concerns could be expressed openly with encouragement and support. Goals and actions were set to help move me forward, in a very positive, pro- active way. The level of challenge and accountability was what I needed without any judgements being made. Business is now really good and I have new opportunities coming to me that I would never have entertained had I not worked with Sarah.

I am so grateful to Sarah and would highly recommend working with her to overcome the barriers we put up that prevent us from achieving our true potential. Thank you Sarah you were just what I needed to get me back on track.”

“From the first session with Sarah I felt safe to talk and felt that she understood what I would most benefit from, meaning I could really relate and engage with the coaching. She was thoughtful approachable, and great at challenging me in a way that makes me want to learn rather than feeling discouraged. I also loved how creative the sessions were! I have really appreciated this process. I have learnt so much that I can apply both in and outside of my career, not only in how to manage my Dyslexia but to also feel confident in my abilities and new skills.”

“Nine months ago at the age of twenty-eight, I was Diagnosed with dyslexia. I always had a gut instinct that something was not right and in many ways, feeling as though I was different to others when it came to visualising and explaining certain things. I have always struggled with procrastination, feeling unconfident and demotivated. The constant struggle of battling negative thoughts telling me I was not good enough consumed me on most days. The constant struggle of focussing on one thing at a time has always been mentally energy taxing. Reading was never enjoyable and has always been a painstaking chore. Constantly been told I was lazy, dopy, clumsy, being a pushover/people-pleaser, not knowing what I was talking about, were labels that somewhat dictated my thoughts and ultimately my actions. These are some of the things I’ve had to battle with throughout my life.

When I was finally told I was Dyslexic, the burden of constantly doubting and second guessing myself started to ease off. Knowing about my dyslexia presented me with a wonderful, exciting opportunity to learn and find myself. With the support from my organisation’s Occupational Health and my line manager, coaching was highly recommended to help me learn new coping mechanisms to alleviate some of the difficulties I was facing throughout my day to day activities. Initially I did not know what to expect or if coaching could help me, but I had nothing to lose.

I felt anxious and apprehensive about opening to a stranger at first, however Sarah’s gentle, non-biased and impartial approach made me feel comfortable, relaxed and tranquil. This approach succeeded throughout all the coaching sessions. When I could relax and feel comfortable, this is when the real effects of Sarah’s coaching came to light and fruition. The feeling of not being judged made me emerge from my shell that I had been hiding in.

I had the perception that Sarah would give me the answers to certain things I was struggling with but Sarah made me dig deep within myself to bring the answers that were always there to the surface. Answers that were suppressed and locked away were finally dug from within and presented to me. It was an amazing feeling knowing that the answers were always there and that I just had to tweak certain elements of my thought processes that would help me combat certain challenges.

Sarah was always patient with me during times when it took long for me to explain certain things. She always tried her very best to try and understand and make sense of the points I was trying to make. By the end of the second coaching session, I felt that I could finally let my guard down completely and open to her. Being open and honest to myself about my thoughts and feelings were what Sarah encouraged and by doing so I realised I had to take this approach to get the most out of each session (however Sarah did not force me to discuss things unless I was completely sure and comfortable). Some of the things that were covered during my coaching sessions were procrastination, memory, how to effectively combat negative thoughts, assertive communication, confidence etc.

I can honestly say without a doubt that I have learnt more about myself within these coaching sessions which have spanned over three and half months, than I have done throughout my adult life. My self-confidence and self-worth have drastically increased. Sarah’s coaching enabled me to learn certain coping mechanisms for the situations I struggled with. It’s as though the blinkers have come off and I now have peripheral vision but at the same time I have the option to put the blinkers back on when I need to focus. Sarah’s coaching session helped me to rid myself of self-doubt and second guessing myself. This new found learning about myself has made me feel happy to come into to work every day and feel confident in engaging within meetings and engaging with colleagues. My day-to-day organisation at work and outside work have steadily improved. I now recognise my strengths and weaknesses.  Simultaneously, I use my strengths to combat my weaknesses. Most importantly the greatest thing that Sarah helped me to learn about myself during the coaching sessions is that ultimately it is me who is in control of my life and that I dictate and control my thoughts.  It is ok to feel the way I do sometimes. The importance of valuing one’s self was a vital trait to learn and implement which ultimately make people around you value you!

I am forever grateful to Sarah for helping me along this journey. I am sad that my coaching sessions have ended but excited to be implementing everything we worked for the rest of my life. Sarah is very warm hearted and passionate about bringing out the best in people. She certainly has helped me to identify and bring out the best in me. Now that I know how a personal coach operates, Sarah’s amazing attributes are everything that I needed in a coach.”