Coaches Training Institute – (www.thecoaches.com)
This is the organisation with whom I have learned to coach. It is a vibrant world-wide network and some of the people I have trained with, and been trained by, are among the most impressive people I have had the good fortune to interact with.
Mankind Project – (www.mkp.org.uk)
I’ve belonged to two Men’s Groups; the first ran for 12+ years and I still meet up with two of my fellow men every couple of months, more than 15 years on. Now, I benefit from belonging to a men’s group which meets fortnightly; we’ve all done self-development work with MKP, and value the chance to share a supportive and authentic connection, which allows for the presence of the good, the (so called) bad and the ugly; all emotions and all feelings.
Women in Power – (www.womeninpowerprogram.com)
A female equivalent, and I see the impact they’ve had on my partner and other women I’ve met who are involved – they rock!
Shadow work – (www.goldenopportunities.org.uk)
This is the name given to the process of seeking to recognise and accept those aspects of ourselves that for whatever reason we keep in the shadows, perhaps out of fear, shame or anger, but which play a conscious, or more likely unconscious, and not always healthy part in our daily lives. There are many practitioners who approach this work from different perspectives; my valuable experience has been with John and Nicola Kurk.
Boarding School Survivors – (www.boardingschoolsurvivors.co.uk)
I went to boarding school at a young age, and scars from this experience lie deep. My journey from under their malign influence began with work I did with Nick Duffell and Boarding School Survivors. Recommend his books and ‘The Making of Them’ film too.
Poetry – (www.kimrosen.net)
I often share poems that have had an impact on me with friends and coaching clients. I have been influenced by the work of Kim Rosen, whose book, Saved by a Poem, is a wonderful introduction to the power of poetry – poetry learned, spoken, shared – to change lives. I was introduced to her work by my friend John Hillman www.johnhillman.org
Growing grown-ups
Each year I spend time with my family at Embercombe in Devon www.embercombe.org for a week called Grow the Grown Ups, led by Joanna Watters http://thisbeautifulwork.weebly.com/. The week is devoted to the idea that supporting adults on their parenting journey is a way of making a happier and more sustainable world, one family at a time.