Coaching for Health

Embracing New Horizons

I have been a medical doctor for 36 years and NHS General Practitioner for 30 years. Through being a GP Appraiser and mentor, and having personal coaching from the NHS, I became interested in training to be a coach and was fortunate to be supported to undertake coach training with Coach Advancement by Tracy Sinclair in 2019.

Having always been curious and interested in people’s stories, this seemed like a natural progression of my skills. I had always thought of my myself as empathetic, a good listener, and keen to help others move forwards with their issues. During my coach training, I learnt about being truly present, listening actively and learning how creative and resourceful we are as human beings. I also learned how to be comfortable with silence—giving time to think, not giving advice or direction. Quite different “muscles” to the ones I used in my medical career!

It has been a joy and a privilege to train to be a coach with Coach Advancement by Tracy Sinclair. I still find it a challenge to not help or guide clients, but I know I am a much better listener now and Tracy and her team have helped me develop the professional skills that mean I can be the best coach I can for my clients. The icing on the cake for me was recently hearing that I have received Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential by the International Coaching Federation. I felt immensely proud that my hard work and achievement has been acknowledged and I know that the training and support I had from Coach Advancement has been of the highest standard and quality, making my journey to ACC much smoother and more enjoyable than it might have otherwise been.

During my first two years as a coach, my experience has been one-to-one coaching with doctors, nurses, and charity workers, which has been hugely valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic and with the ongoing workplace issues that my frontline colleagues have been experiencing. I was also a volunteer coach with the Coaching with Conscience initiative and have coached five clients from the MIND charity, with the last three being paid clients as per the MIND contract for the Coaching with Conscience initiative. For me this highlighted the need for coaching in all organisations trying to support others. It was good to see how the MIND clients were able to progress ideas for themselves and those in their teams, developing new ways of working. Especially with the challenge of delivering their work virtually during the pandemic and then transitioning back to face-to-face sessions with often vulnerable service users and facilitators.

I have now retired from NHS General Practice, but I am planning to continue coaching within the NHS and charity sectors. There remains an ongoing need to support colleagues with handling uncertainty and overwhelm in these sectors. As a coach, I now have the skills to partner them as they seek to flourish and grow in their often-changing roles.

“Reimagining the Future” in partnership with a coach is something I am keen to be involved with on a personal and professional level. Coaching has helped me personally to grow and embrace new horizons. I’ve witnessed and experienced how important (and even essential) coaching is for organisations. It has amazed me that I have had a 30-year career as a GP, with coaching and its opportunities for thinking and development only becoming more mainstream in the NHS during the last 4-5 years. It is available for leadership development, but should be available for all who wish to develop and flourish in their careers, not just the leaders. I truly believe that anything and everything is possible with coaching!