ABOUT SONIA

My Coaching, Mentoring and Training Practice focuses on supporting you to alleviate stress, avoid or reverse burnout, and overcome the challenges we often face as midlife women. I use my knowledge gained, and my different roles in education and stress management to support, encourage and coach midlife women who are stressed, burnt out, eating emotionally, experiencing weight gain or insomnia. You may even find out that you are now at risk of developing a preventable chronic lifestyle illness such as high blood pressure or pre-diabetes. You are not alone. Increasingly midlife women are seeking support or guidance to help them achieve better work-life balance, relief from the consequences of prolonged stress, and want, ultimately, to enjoy the benefits of leading a healthier lifestyle.

That support and guidance is available for you as you work with me. I understand the challenges we face as midlife women. During midlife I started to find teaching and lecturing more difficult. I was facing midlife stressors such as menopausal symptoms which I wished would disappear. Eventually, I recognised that stress and mental health issues which remain unresolved can lead to serious ill health. My midlife stressors were heightened by lymphoedema; a painful medical condition which severely affected my feet. Stress, the constant pain in my feet and midlife challenges eventually took their toll. They contributed to my significant weight gain, poor self-esteem, lack of confidence and rapidly decreasing mental-wellbeing.

I decided to take action. My decision thereafter to leave full-time teaching and become a supply teacher proved to be fruitful. My Doctorate in Education which followed provided me with the motivation to learn more about stress, anxiety and the impact they have on the midlife woman’s mental wellbeing. This encouraged and helped me to lose weight, to reduce my own stress levels and qualify as a Health Coach specialising in Stress Management, Mental Health and Wellbeing Awareness.

Through my coaching practice Leap to Health, I combine my coaching, teaching and presenting skills as I focus on coaching stressed or burned-out, professional midlife women. Working with me you will learn how to deal successfully with your midlife stressors, and to reclaim your self-esteem and confidence to unapologetically enjoy the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle once more.

My Accredited and Certified Diplomas in Advanced Stress Management, Health Coaching, Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing, in addition to my Professional Memberships and experience ensure that I have the knowledge and skills required to work effectively with you.

The coaching and mentoring programmes which I provide One-2-One or in Groups have been carefully designed to meet the personal or professional needs of midlife women.

The training workshops that I deliver provide clarity and awareness regarding mental health or stress in the workplace designed to support, motivate and inspire midlife women. Training courses can be adapted upon request.