This week's Coach in the Spotlight is our graduate coach Cat Stacey. Cat had a performing arts background before discovering life coaching. After training with us she set up her own coaching business, Cat Stacey: Happiness and Wellbeing Coach, working mostly with young people in education. Cat is passionate about encouraging the anxious and overwhelmed to find creative and positive pathways forward. Read on as Cat shares her coaching journey with us today.
What sparked your journey into coaching?
It all began with a burning passion for the performing arts! I really wanted to be an actor, I loved ‘being’ other people and exploring the motivations of others. But life took its turns, and as a single parent, pursuing acting became a challenge. Yet, my fascination with human behaviour led me to delve into psychology, especially positive psychology. It was like finding the missing puzzle piece to my own happiness, guiding me towards gratitude and positivity. I had become stuck and positive psychology and coaching really helped me take leaps forward both personally and in my newfound career. Coaching has been a great vehicle to add to my positive psychology knowledge, giving me the tools to help the anxious and overwhelmed find positive pathways forward.
How has coaching transformed my life?
Coaching empowered me to rewrite my story. It stopped me sitting back and being a bystander in my own life. Mixing amazing coaching questions with positive psychology and mindfulness really supported me to find a way out of feeling ‘meh’. I come back to these practices regularly when I need a boost in a positive direction. Coaching isn’t just a skill; it was my lifeline to positivity!
How did the qualification slot in with your life?
Being a single parent and juggling a full-time job leaves little room for extras. But the Coaching Academy made it seamless! Their support and organization helped me carve out time, completing my qualification in just 18 months. Plus, the online tools made tracking progress a breeze. The social media groups are also a great way to find support and coaching clients to reciprocate best practice with. It has been a fantastic experience, and I would thoroughly recommend it.
What was the most rewarding part of your journey?
The joy of continuous learning! School wasn't my thing, but now? I thrive on a love of learning! Meeting fellow enthusiasts, sharing insights, and growing together—it's pure magic. Learning doesn't just enrich your mind; it fuels your soul, especially when you're surrounded by an uplifting community!
How are you using your coaching skills?
I work with children and young people in mental health and education as well as coaching adults through my own business. I use coaching every day. Open questions and active listening are skills that benefit all conversations keeping you curious to the person's lived experience. I link coaching up with trauma-informed practice, mixing empathic responses in with open questions to support a young person to express their experiences. Many young people are experiencing real challenges in navigating the world and I feel privileged to be able to support them via coaching.
What’s the biggest area in coaching you are curious about?
Neuroscience is something I find fascinating, and it is amazing how much we are still finding out about the human brain. I completed the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for Coaches training in Neuroscience and use science and research regularly to support the things that we often intuitively know. Neuroscience gives us scientific insights into what is good for our health, wellbeing, and happiness and I can’t wait to see what is discovered next.
What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a career in coaching?
Learning to coach isn't just about a career—it's a life-enhancer! Every skill you acquire, every insight you glean, it all adds up. I have a strong belief that no skill is ever wasted. I think we can often try and measure skills in monetary value. Will this be beneficial to my career, earn me more money, secure a promotion? My first skills learned in the performing arts could now be considered a waste as I no longer pursue acting, but the skills of communication, body language, understanding the objectives of another, confidence in speaking in public or on camera have all been used elsewhere both professionally and personally. Learning new skills will support you, whether you choose to turn it into a specific career or add it to the one you already have.
Thank you Cat for sharing your inspirational journey with us!
Ready to begin your own coaching adventure? Join our free Introduction to Life Coaching webinar and discover the possibilities!
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