Berea, Durban
MA and PhD (U of Natal), Certified Life and Team Coach (Results Coaching Systems), Transition TQ Coach (Modern Elder Academy), COMENSA member
Berea, Durban Metro, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
“It’s not the changes that do us in. It’s the transitions.” (William Bridges)
Do you know that sinking feeling upon entering an empty house, or reaching the end of a road? That sense of an ending. Maybe you have just come out of a long-term relationship? Or your children have left home? Maybe you have received an unexpected health diagnosis, or you have recently retired?
If you relate to any of this, you are not alone, and help is on its way. Millions are silently battling feelings of disconnect in the wake of an external disruption to their life. While changes are events often not in our control, it is possible to control the way we emotionally transition from one stage of life or career, to another. Transitions are inner processes of gradual adjustments to one’s old sense of self and core beliefs, and successful transitions require consistent inner work and commitment. To navigate transitions, we certainly need to draw on our emotional intelligence (EQ), but do we know enough about transitional intelligence (TQ)?
I am a certified ‘Transition Q’ coach with the Modern Elder Academy, and also hold a certification with Results Coaching Systems (ICF-accredited). Through these training programmes and drawing on my life experience, I have developed a blended approach to transition coaching.
A few words about my transition journey. After a university career spanning three decades, I have in recent years turned to coaching, while building on skills developed during my academic career, which has always included aspects of mentoring and coaching, goal-setting and personal development for many generations of students. I have a PhD and continue to be active as a researcher.
And yes, in my private life, too, I have navigated several stages of change and transition. In my mid-thirties, I emigrated from Europe to South Africa, an experience that has brought with it many wonderful life lessons, but also the anxieties of new beginnings: ‘culture shock’, divorce, single parenthood, caring for and separation from ailing parents, a new significant relationship, empty nest and retirement. I’m deeply attuned to the challenges of adjusting to and living in mindsets of transition, which has prompted me to help people integrate the lessons of life-changing disruptions.
Unprecedented social ruptures at global level in recent years have prompted various thought leaders world-wide to dedicate their research to developing special personal skills for navigating transitions. The US-based Modern Elder Academy (MEA) is one such organization that mainly addresses adults in the second half of life. Steeped in positive psychology and neuro-science, the recently coined ‘TQ’ refers to the internal process of relating to external disruption through a carefully selected package of skills for facilitating the integration of change into our lives.
As a certified ‘Transition Q’ coach, I will hold space for you to reconnect with your inner wisdom as you confront external changes that may impact your inner world. I can meet you wherever you may find yourself in the process of transition.
Together we will explore the circumstances of change in your life, and – depending on whether you are facing the bewilderment of endings, the disquiet of the ‘no longer, but not yet here’, or the anxieties of the unfamiliar new ground – we will explore ways of navigating each stage, as necessary.
If you resonate with any of the above, coaching might be what you need. I am here to facilitate your taking charge of your inner transition, as you navigate external change.
Throughout, I shall ‘hold the space’ for you, so that you can explore the perceptions, emotions, and old beliefs that might be holding you back from progress. The aim of coaching is to get you from where you are to where you aspire to be, by gently guiding you to your own strengths and insights.
During an obligation-free session, either online, by WhatsApp video, or face-to-face (if you live in Durban), you will have the opportunity to find out more about how the coaching process works, and whether you wish to give coaching a chance.