Amy Kirkwood Coaching
About Me
Throughout my career I've looked for purpose and meaning in the work that I do. I've always felt passionately about making a difference, but I reached a point when I realised I wasn't sure what that meant to me. What followed was a journey of self-discovery which involved quitting my corporate job, working with a social enterprise, taking courses in personal and organisational development, and working with a coach. These experiences helped me to define what success looks like for me and to align with my values so that I can make a difference in the world that feels meaningful to me.
Working with and training as a coach has been a transformative, enriching experience. I've taken bold steps I never thought I'd take and realised the potential for change in each and every one of us.
Now I help clients and organisations both in London (where I'm based) and around the world to create the change they want, and support them on their own journey of self-development.
My approach
What I bring
Having worked in a variety of organisations and facilitated on leadership development programmes, I understand the pressures that work and the different roles we play can bring, particularly in a complex organisation. Now, as a business owner and having changed career, I also have experience of starting from scratch in a new area and the challenges and opportunities this presents. I draw on these experiences in my coaching practice to support clients through whichever stage they are at in their career journey.
How I coach
I believe that aspects of our lives such as career, relationships, values and purpose are all interconnected, influencing and impacting each other in different ways. If we are showing up to work feeling disconnected, there is a good chance we are experiencing a disconnect in other areas, too.
I offer clients an opportunity to explore what really matters to them and create shifts in perspective that enable positive change. My approach is to create a safe and welcoming space to work with the ‘whole’ person to create change, whether big or small. I have a calm, reflective and inquisitive style that enables clients to gain fresh perspectives and new insights.
At the beginning of a programme, I seek to understand the client's preferred learning styles and tailor the exercises and sessions to them. Depending on the client's preferences and needs, I may incorporate exercises involving physical movement, drawing and writing to support my client's learning and development in different ways.
Whether you have a specific goal in mind or want to explore a particular topic for more insight (and this can change along the way), I will work with you to develop new awareness and capabilities that create and support sustainable change.
Qualifications and experience
Coach Training and Education
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Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and Member of the International Coaching Federation
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Coach Training Programme for Personal and Business Coaching, Barefoot Coaching (programme accredited to PCC level by the ICF)
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Postgraduate Certificate in Personal and Business Coaching, University of Chester (in progress)
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Group Coaching Programme, Barefoot Coaching
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Systemic Coaching and Constellations: Fundamentals Part I, Coaching Constellations
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Coach Training Programme, MOE Foundation
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Coaching supervision to support my development as a coach (ongoing)
Organisational Development and Facilitation
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Gestalt in Organisational Development: In Practice and Core Concepts, The Gestalt Centre
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Group Facilitation: Key Concepts, Skills and Personal Development, The Gestalt Centre
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Leading from Within Facilitator (leadership development programme), She Leads Change
Volunteer Coaching
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Volunteer Coach, Yes Futures
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Coach Supervisor, MOE Foundation
Other Experience
As an experienced project manager, I led projects and teams in the publishing industry for 15+ years with Pearson Education and a mix of large organisations and small businesses.