Testimonials

Head of HR

Local Authority

"I had not previously used a Coach as I hadn’t particularly felt the need for one as an HR professional and a qualified Coach and Mentor myself.

However, my Director had mentioned Denise and her coaching approach which interested me so I looked her up online and knew instantly that Denise was the perfect coach for me …

Now I wish I had had Denise years ago! She has really enhanced both my working and personal life. The sessions have allowed me to take time out just for me, to concentrate on myself and my needs and really reflect on where I am and what I need to flourish.

I have learnt to appreciate my strengths and understand the value and positive benefits of my personal approach to work. This has helped me feel grounded and secure and to appreciate who I am and my value in the workplace.

I completely trust Denise and have absolute faith in her knowledge and approach.

I would highly recommend Denise to anyone who is considering coaching but not necessarily sure of everything they want to achieve through the sessions. Denise has an amazing way of drawing this out and focusing on the things that truly matter and even more importantly has a gentle, supportive, intuitive, and caring way that makes you feel valued and appreciated as the coachee and feel in a safe and secure space to start honest conversations …"

oOo

Former Local Authority

Deputy Chief Executive

now Business Owner.

"I have worked with Denise over a number of years and have found her to be highly professional and sincere. She has coached me on a 1:2:1 basis and I have commissioned her to work with others in a coaching capacity as well as to run training courses and facilitate team meetings.

Her challenges to me have always been illuminating and she is adept at spotting patterns of behaviour. This has helped me to consider my management approach; develop my goals and ultimately gain more out of my professional and personal life. I have found her coaching to be particularly valuable for senior managers who benefit from working with a respected individual who is external to the organisation given the confidential nature of a coaching session.

As a leader, I can see the difference that Denise’s coaching has made to others that I am responsible for and having Denise facilitate team meetings where a challenging situation exists has been very positive both for the individuals concerned and the organisation. Denise brings a fresh perspective and energy that makes one think. This sounds very serious but there is fun to be had too. A shared ambition and renewed motivation is a common outcome from her sessions as well as an improved understanding amongst teams of the ways people react and interact.

Denise is able to develop bespoke training courses for organisations that can help organisations identify their values and behaviours; review performance outcomes; look at what needs to shift for progress/change to happen and be clear about individual/team/organisation wide actions that need to underpin any plans.

I would not hesitate to recommend Denise as a coach in either a professional or personal capacity.”

oOo

Associate Director
Private Company

"Denise,
thank you so, so, so much for helping me through this difficult time, if it wasn’t for you I don’t know what I would have done.
I was broken and lost and you’ve helped me find myself again and realise my worth and potential so AGAIN THANK YOU.
I will always remember this and the tools and mindset you have taught me!"

Director

Essex County Council

"I originally decided to engage a coach after I was struggling at work following a promotion and change of role. The new role was particularly challenging which in turn I found started to impact on my confidence and self-belief that I could fulfil the new role successfully. I was first supported by Denise to work these challenges through and then I stopped seeing Denise for a while. I re-engaged Denise a few years later following the sad death of my mother. Grief was a very new emotion for me and I quickly identified that I was struggling to cope with this new emotion and got in touch with Denise again. I have stayed with her ever since (over 6 years now) for what I liken to be a MOT check every 8 weeks or so, just to keep me focussed, positive, and striving forward with my life and its challenges.

Coaching is a very personal experience, but what I find most useful is the way Denise poses questions that really make you reflect and think. Her style is very much to help you to work through what you need to do to either make the changes you would like to in your life, or to manage the difficult feelings and emotions we all experience at points in our lives. One of my biggest challenges is managing my very high workload and the impact of that on my work/life balance. When I first started to see Denise, my workload and the stress that came with it was unmanageable, and bit by bit Denise has helped me to prioritise much more effectively, to understand that the ‘to do’ list is never finished and that self-care is as important as the hours you work! With Denise’s support I have achieved another promotion at work, but this time I settled in much more quickly and have a much more balanced outlook on life, which has successfully carried me through the pandemic.

I am a much calmer person now, I manage stress much more effectively and really can prioritise the urgent and important, over the little things that can tend to take over. As a result, my health and my relationships have all improved and I am not only able to manage a very demanding senior leadership position with success but to do it in a way that most of the time, I can also manage my stress levels effectively. I have benefitted from both one-one sessions but also have the privilege of attending a few workshops which have deepened my skill set around self-care and how to integrate this into a busy life very successfully. I now see Denise for more of a touch base rather than with specific changes or goals in mind, just to ensure that I don’t slip back to my old ways of letting the ‘job’ and stress levels overwhelm me. After every session, I feel lighter, happier in myself, more confident with my decisions, and with a clear plan for the next few weeks. It might sound very indulgent to talk about yourself and your life for 2 hours every eight weeks or so, but consider how much do we truly reflect on our lives, our goals, and our desires and actually then develop a plan to achieve them. I certainly am a better person for having regular coaching sessions.

Denise has the most wonderful style of coaching I have ever experienced. She is very softly spoken and has a very calming presence, however, she always asks what I call the killer questions, those that make you think very deeply and reflectively indeed. It is that style that will enable you to make the changes you are seeking to make and to embed those changes into your life.

As I have said, it is the way Denise really makes you think things through by asking a number of questions that deepen your thinking as the session goes on. After every session, I feel I can achieve anything I want to.

I am a huge advocate of life coaching and would recommend it and Denise Collins to anyone who is struggling with any aspect of their life or who wants to make those seemingly impossible changes to their lives."