Finding confidence through coach training

A personal transformation through coaching

Becoming a life coach has profoundly transformed my own life by deepening my self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Through coaching others, I’ve learned to practice what I preach, embracing resilience, setting clear boundaries, and cultivating a growth mindset. It has strengthened my communication skills, improved my relationships, and reinforced the importance of living with intention. Most importantly, coaching has kept me accountable to my own goals, ensuring I continue growing alongside my clients. The process of guiding others has been a mirror for my own personal development, making me more compassionate, patient, and purpose-driven.

I have learnt to trust myself and my intuition through coaching. Aligning with my inner personal wisdom has helped me navigate challenges with patience and kindness. This is what I want for my clients. 

I have reconnected with my “self” and my body through coaching and now listen to what my body is telling me and I trust my gut, without overriding it, every single time. This is what I want for my clients.

Choosing The Coaching Academy and building confidence

I have a new found, quiet confidence, a sense of knowing that what I’m doing is right for me and that I have the knowledge to do it well. I spent a long-time researching coach training companies and The Coaching Academy felt like the right choice for me. I did the Life Coaching Diploma and was able to learn at my own pace, the course content was really robust and easy to follow. 

I also chose to follow the NLP Practitioner Programme training with Sarah Urquart. I absolutely loved it. The course has had an unexpected ripple effect. So many of the tools and techniques she taught us are woven into my everyday life and my coaching practice. It's rare for me to find training this immediately applicable and relevant, but some of the tools have already become second nature.

Finding a niche and defining meaningful work

I agonised over my niche endlessly. In the end I took advice from other coaches and mentors and stopped chasing it and waited for it to present itself to me. Which, of course, it did. I suspect it will morph and be refined over time, but for now, it’s perfect.

Broadly speaking, I work in the wellness sector, more specifically, as a body image and food freedom coach and mentor. I help people break free from yo-yo dieting and emotional eating, guiding them out of the cycle of guilt, shame, and frustration so they can build a peaceful, joyful relationship with food and their bodies, without relying on restrictive diets or willpower.

Responding to cultural pressures and creating lasting change

Two years ago, I knew this was the work I wanted to do, but I wasn’t entirely sure how to make it happen. I found a coach and mentor for myself who played a pivotal role in healing my own relationship with food and my body, and helped shape “The Phoenix Formula”, the foundation of my first coaching program.

What I didn’t foresee was the sudden explosion of Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications, nor the resurgence of the outdated belief that skinny equals good and fat or overweight equals bad. I truly thought we’d moved beyond these harmful labels, but sadly, they’re still pervasive.

While these medications help many people lose weight and feel better in the short term, they don’t address the root causes of unhealthy eating habits. Without tackling those deeper issues, the weight often comes back, and that’s exactly where my coaching comes in. By helping people understand and heal their relationship with food and their bodies, I empower them to create lasting change.   As long as I can get my message out there in a way that resonates with my ideal client, I have no doubt this work will be in high demand.

Community, connection and in-person healing

I love that my work allows me to connect with clients globally through online coaching. It’s incredible how much transformation we can create virtually. But as much as technology connects us, it can also leave us feeling isolated. Since COVID, we’ve lost so much of that natural, human sense of community, replaced by endless scrolling, disembodied interactions, and the illusion of connection without real depth.

For people struggling with their weight or body image, that isolation runs even deeper. So many withdraw from social moments, skipping gatherings, avoiding photos, or opting out of experiences they once loved, because they don’t feel like they “belong” in their own skin.

That’s why I’m so passionate about creating in-person workshops and retreats. Imagine a space filled with like-minded, like-bodied people, where no one judges what’s on your plate or how you move. Where you can share the messy, triumphant, and tender parts of this journey, because healing isn’t just about food or weight, but about being seen and celebrated exactly as you are.

Thank you Sarah for sharing your coach training journey and the impact of your coaching work.