Coaching

Career coaching for women

You might know you need a career change but you have no idea what it looks like yet. Perhaps you already know where you want to go but feel stuck on how to get there. Or you might be somewhere in between, sensing that your current role no longer fits, itching for something exciting to happen, but not feeling clear yet on what that needs to be. Something in you is ready for more.

Career transitions are rarely only practical. They bring up the interesting questions about identity, worth, values and more: what do I actually want from work now, what am I good at, what would make this feel worth it? The career that fitted you in your twenties or thirties may not be the one you want now, or you've realised that something within your hard-won professional path needs to change to better fit your current stage of life.

In our career coaching sessions, together we create the space for you to clarify what you really want, build your confidence, work through different options and take the next steps towards the change you need. It is collaborative, energising and action-focused. You do not need to arrive with the answers. Clarifying what they are, and then deciding how to approach them, is what we do together in coaching.

Who career coaching is for

I work with professional women, usually capable high-achievers, who are outwardly successful but quietly wondering, "Is this it?"

This coaching may be right for you if you are:

  • Ready for a career change and wanting support and momentum to plan it well
  • Sensing that your current role no longer fits, and curious about what would fit better
  • Returning to work after a career break, maternity leave or another big life change, and ready to do it on your terms
  • Stepping into a promotion, a new leadership role, or a move into a different sector
  • Rebuilding confidence and ambition after redundancy or a difficult workplace experience
  • Drawn to self-employment, freelance work or a portfolio career
  • Approaching a later-career chapter and wanting it to feel meaningful
  • Quietly asking "what now?" and ready to find out what more could look like

Many of my clients are navigating other changes at the same time, perhaps perimenopause, a late ADHD or autism diagnosis, becoming a parent, or caring for their own parents. Career change rarely happens in isolation, and our work together can hold the whole picture.

Although I primarily work with people who identify as cis-women, my coaching is open to non-binary and trans clients navigating these transitions. Whatever your gender or identity, if my approach resonates, you are welcome to book a discovery call.

How career coaching with me works

I work relationally, which means the coaching relationship itself is where the real work happens. As a qualified counsellor and clinical supervisor, I bring therapeutic depth alongside a practical understanding of organisations, hiring and career development from years in People and HR in high-growth start-ups and professional services. That means we can work with both the emotional and strategic sides of your transition, while ensuring forward momentum.

Career coaching with me is not a CV-writing service or a job-hunting bootcamp. It goes deeper, and it gets you further. We look at what is underneath the wish to change, your values, what you have outgrown, what energises you and what you're avoiding, and use that as the foundation for the practical steps that follow.

What our sessions look like

Most clients book a block of sessions, usually six or so to begin with, and we meet every one to two weeks. Sessions are 60 or 90 minutes, online via Zoom or by telephone, whichever fits your life better.

Early sessions focus on getting clear on where you are now, what you have already tried, and what you want, including how we will know when you have got there. From there we move into the energising part: experimentation, planning and accountability. We'll test ideas, take achievable steps, notice what is shifting, and adjust as we go.

Between sessions you might reflect on something we discussed, try a small experiment, have a conversation you have been putting off, or simply pay closer attention to your working week. There is no homework you will be marked on, but the change happens between sessions as much as inside them.

My background and qualifications

I am an EMCC Global Accredited Senior Practitioner in Coaching and a BACP-accredited counsellor and clinical supervisor. I bring a therapy-informed coaching approach alongside a background in People and HR in high-growth start-ups, media and professional services.

I understand both the inner experience of career change, the doubt, the identity shifts, the loss and the possibility, and the outer realities of organisations, hiring, promotion, redundancy and the politics of a workplace. We can hold both the emotional side and the strategic side in our sessions without one crowding out the other.

Career coaching FAQs

How long does career coaching take?

Most clients work with me for three to six months, typically choosing six to twelve sessions spaced one to two weeks apart. Some come for a shorter, focused piece of work, such as preparing for a particular decision or interview over a couple of sessions. Others stay longer, especially when the transition is significant. We will talk about what is likely to suit you on your discovery call.

Can you help if I am returning to work after a career break?

Yes, absolutely. Returning after time away, whether for parenting, caring, illness or your own choice, is a common reason why women come to me, and it can be an exciting fresh start. It is rarely only logistical, there is often an identity shift to work through, confidence to rebuild, and a real chance to decide what you want this next phase to be. We can work on all of it.

Do you offer career coaching for women over 40 or in midlife?

Yes. A lot of my work is with women in midlife, who may be reshaping their priorities, rebuilding after burnout, navigating menopause alongside a career, or building something more values-aligned for the next phase of working life. There's nothing wrong with wanting something different now than you wanted at 28. We will work with where you are and where you want to go.

Do you help with redundancy and rebuilding confidence after a difficult workplace experience?

Yes. Redundancy, a challenging C-suite or a difficult manager, a workplace that didn't feel safe, or other negative experiences of work can leave a mark long after the job has ended. Therapy-informed career coaching can be a place to make sense of what happened, rebuild your sense of capability, and step into what is next without carrying the whole impact of it with you.

Is career coaching online?

Yes. I offer sessions online via Zoom or by telephone, which works well for clients across the UK and internationally. Online coaching tends to be more flexible around work and family commitments, and many clients enjoy doing this work from the comfort and privacy of their own space.

What is the difference between career coaching and career counselling?

Traditional career counselling might focus on assessment, such as psychometrics, aptitudes and suggested directions. Career coaching is more collaborative and forward-looking: we explore what you want, what is getting in the way, and what action makes sense for you. Because I am also a qualified counsellor, I can sit with the emotional side of career change rather than rushing past it, while keeping the work focused on where you want to go.

Career coaching alongside other transitions

If your career change is happening alongside other changes, perhaps you are navigating perimenopause and finding work suddenly harder, processing a late ADHD diagnosis and rethinking how you want to work, or going through a major life shift, these do not need to be kept separate. You can read more about:

Ready to talk?

I offer a free 30-minute discovery call so we can explore whether we are a good fit before you start coaching with me. There is no pressure to book afterwards. It is simply a chance to talk about what is going on and what you want, and to see whether my approach feels right for you.

Book a discovery call, or contact me to ask a question.