I had my first operation in 2014, and a second in 2020. Whilst these have been successful in removing the disease, I now have severe hearing loss, some balance problems and tinnitus.
Thanks to modern technology, hearing loss is no longer the barrier it used to be. I wear hearing aids which stream sound from my PC and phone, allowing me to chat with clients online. I have a microphone for meetings and noisy environments.
I also have a sound support dog from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, he alerts me to sounds around the house, demands regular cuddles and likes to lie over my feet when I’m talking to clients.
When I’m out he wears his Hearing Dogs jacket, letting staff in shops know that they need to speak up!
I had left my administrative career behind and was working as a Wellbeing Coach when I first came across mindfulness. I saw a book (Finding Peace in a Frantic World) in my ENT consultant’s office. I bought a copy and started to practice mindfulness regularly. It helped me so much that I wanted to share the benefits with others.
I’ve since studied Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy with the Oxford Mindfulness Centre and teach three of their courses; Introduction to Mindfulness, Mindfulness: Finding Peace and MBCT for Life.
Accessibility is important to me. I’ve adapted some of the MBCT practices so that people with balance issues can join in with mindful movement sessions. I focus on visual input rather than sound for many of the practices to support those with hearing loss and use the subtitles on Zoom. I’m currently learning BSL and in the future I will offer coaching and Mindfulness Courses in sign language. I’d be happy to adapt any sessions according to your needs.
Through my own journey of wellbeing and mindfulness I’ve learnt so much about myself, as well as developing resilience, focus and how to work with my own values to achieve the things that matter to me. I’m passionate about helping others on the same journey of wellbeing, helping to build a solid foundation where you can create a life you love and do what matters.
I’ve studied counselling and psychology with the Open University, and I have a Professional Certificate and a Diploma in Life Coaching. I’ve also completed courses in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and love how adaptable this framework is to coaching.
For any personal or professional goal to be fulfilling, the journey needs to be fulfilling too. Finding out what really matters to you and taking action to make things happen takes courage. By improving your wellbeing and resilience you can be ready for whatever the future holds.
Deaf Life Coach
Managing life with hearing loss can be exhausting. The pressure to keep up with everyone else, you must fit in, you can't complain.
I help overwhelmed people with hearing loss improve their quality of life, unhook from stress and give them the tools they need to look after their wellbeing, whatever life throws at them.
I’ve been deaf in one ear since childhood. In 2013 I was diagnosed with a cholesteatoma (a benign tumor) in my hearing ear. If left untreated, this disease can cause total hearing loss, face paralysis, a brain abscess or meningitis.