Hi, I am Tina. I am a wife, a mum (of two wonderful boys), a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a sister, a sister-in-law, an aunty and a friend. I am also a certified professional coach, grew up on a farm, have had the amazing opportunity to travel to over forty countries and I have lived in Australia, Brazil and the UK. I love the curiosity of children, the wisdom of age, the amazing planet we live on and most of all the work in progress that is my life.
A bit more about me…
Why I choose to walk this path…
Parent & Relocation Coach
I have been drawn to supporting parents because of my personal struggle with self-worth while staying at home with our boys and giving up my career. Returning to Australia from living in the UK at 32 weeks pregnant in 2003 began my journey of family relocation.
We have had three international family moves since then (Australia – Brazil – Australia- UK) as our two boys have grown and I have learnt a great deal, about myself, other cultures and parenting. I want to make parenting, relocation and integrating into new communities as a family easier for everyone.
Even though my husband (Vaughan) and I made the right choice for our family at the time – for me to stay at home during our boys early years – I felt judged (by others and myself) that this was not ‘enough’ of a job. Having spent 7 years at University and 10 years working professionally before starting a family, the transition into parenthood as a vocation was difficult and although I loved being a mum, I no longer felt valued as an individual. The value society places on a parent staying at home to care for young children in the home is eroding. There is mounting pressure for parents to return to some type of paid work as soon as possible. But this is not always the best answer for all families. It is a delicate balancing act to juggle money and other values. Great (priceless) value lies in us, breaking away from what is ‘expected’ of us and to live the life that we want, pursue a passion, create… This in turn provides enormous value as role modeling for our children…
I became a coach to find my own path, this ‘alternative way’ for myself and my family. To create a flexible way to be the mother I want to be to our sons (in the midst of moving countries 3 times in 6 years!) And within this process of finding my own way I discovered an enormous joy and satisfaction in helping other parents find their own path – unique to them, which will allow them to be the parent they want to be while leading the life that they choose for themselves. The most rewarding moments I have had in my work is when parents give themselves permission to listen to there hearts…
I studied with the International Coach Academy www.icoachacademy.com in their Advanced Certified Coaching Program to become a Certified Practicing Coach. I subsequently undertook further study to become certified with the International Coach Federation (ICF) coachfederation.org, as an Associate Certified Coach. The ICF is the leading global organisation dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.
My home country is Australia and I have recently moved to Kenilworth in the United Kingdom with my family.
Before coaching I obtained a Science degree with Honours in Aquatic Ecology and a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management. I accumulated over ten years experience working in the Corporate, Local and State Government Sectors both in Australia and the United Kingdom, primarily in the environmental and natural resource management field. I trained as a facilitator and particularly enjoyed my time working with groups of farming families to help them develop their strategic business plans.
I have over 4 years of coaching experience, coaching people both individually and as part of group programmes.
I have a strong affinity with people who are juggling career and family responsibilities. I particularly enjoy coaching people who are experiencing some form of transition in their lives such as adapting to a new country, culture, job, business or family situation.
As a coach I am happy to work with anyone motivated to make changes to their lives, however I specialise in the following areas:
• Parents, juggling the challenges of work, family and self
• Stay at home parents regaining focus on themselves
• Life transitions
• Expatriate and repatriation adjustment
Many of my clients are mums. If you are a mum having a family has changed your life, your values and your priorities. You are undoubtedly doing a great job although you may not be told that very often!
I am a mum too, of two wonderful boys, who changed my life. I am also a wife, a daughter, a daughter-in-law, a sister, a sister-in-law, an aunty (I have 6 nieces and 1 nephew) and a friend…
Most likely you are most of these to someone too… it’s a lot and we are all doing our best to keep everyone in our lives happy, connected and sane!
But I am also a coach, and I became a coach because I was struggling…struggling with all these roles. I was sick of feeling like I wasn’t enough, wasn’t doing enough, and wasn’t being enough. I am on a journey to try to make sense of it all – to find out where I fit into this mass of people…and part of what I have discovered so far is that I have a passion to help others… other mums who I see every day tussling with the same issues I do. So if you are that mum in the midst of this struggle…you are in the right place!
It is time to take a breath and reconnect with what is important. Pause to celebrate the success of how far you have come and dare to dream about the next phase and what exciting possibilities are waiting for you.