By Mrs Maria Iliffe-Wood
Reflections of a coaching presence workshop

Reflections of a coaching presence workshop

A small group of people drawn together, not really sure what to expect but each trusting their own intuition that this was something that would be helpful to them.  And they weren’t wrong.  What they couldn’t have predicted was the depth and extent to which this would make a difference, not just in their work but in their whole life. 

Because we cannot separate our work and our life.  What shows up in our life also shows up in our work.  Who we are in life is also who we are in work.  And when we realise who we really are and realise that this is more trustworthy and wise than anything else, we can be who we really are at work, in life and magic happens. 

So a lot of deep reflection happened, an exploration into who we really are.  For some this was an emotional experience, churning up some emotions initially but turning to joy and pleasure as they became familiar with who they really are beyond, below and above all of their personal identities that had been created by layers of thinking over many years.  We peeled away the layers in a safe and supportive way to reveal the diamond within that had been hidden by these layers.

Everyone had a glimpse of the diamond, and whilst they still had some sticky layers, having glimpsed this, they all reported feeling profoundly changed for the better.

On the second day people reported changes that had happened overnight.  One reported the best conversation they’d ever had with their teenage child.  One moved forward on a decision that they’d been procrastinating over for months. 

All reported more clarity, more ease and all knew (without quite knowing how they knew) that this was something that had created a permanent shift within them.  The feeling within the group was peaceful, calm and happy and all were reluctant to leave on the second day, wanting to remain in the warm feeling for a while longer before heading back to normal life.

The workshop was very different to any previous learning events experienced by the group.  All report that it would be difficult to describe it in advance.  It had to be experienced to be understood.  The overwhelming feedback was to ‘remain different’.  Workshop is not the right word for it, but then neither is the word ‘retreat’.  The reality is somewhere in between. 

All recommend the experience to others.  The general advice being “Trust your instincts if they tell you to attend this workshop.  You will not regret it”


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Mrs Maria Iliffe-Wood

Accredited Coaching Supervisor

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