Coaches Corner with Magdalena Bak-Maier & Abigail Boughton-Thomas

MADALENA BAK-MAIER

1. Who or what inspired you to do what you do?
What inspires me to do what I do is seeing how education, coaching, neuroscience and leadership work intersect, and the way one can apply these disciplines to empower and heal people.

2. What do you find the most challenging about your work?
Developing my work and time management. Working at a leading edge is often lonely especially as a practitioner who is not part of an academic department and balancing time between 1:1 work and my desire to keep learning.

3. What's the biggest lesson you have learnt in recent years?
To trust that there is magic in what I do and how I do it and that Dr. Suess was right when he said "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

4. If you could wave a magic wand and have one wish for you or your coaching practice, what would it be and why?
Finding a center of practice or a community of deeply experiential integrative coaching practitioners to learn and explore the edge of the work. I was part of an action research inquiry project in this space last year led by Dr. Lauretta Cundy and really enjoyed our practical discussions.

5. Tell us a fact that not many people know about you ...
My all time favorite film is Harvey directed by Henry Koster, and starring James Stewart

ABIGAIL BOUGHTON-THOMAS

1. Who or what inspired you to do what you do?
My father was a leadership trainer and is a practising therapist - I grew up in a house of self help, management and psychology books, inspiring mealtime conversation and an interest helping people grow and heal. I had to recover from my own experience of mental ill health before re-entering education, graduating as a mature student and finding my way to coaching and Solution Focus Brief Therapy. However, the desire to work in the world of psychology was there from an early age, and I am so grateful to have a wise mentor in my family.

2. What do you find the most challenging about your work?
In my NHS work, the lack of secondary care mental health services means many of the patients who aren't suitable for wellbeing coaching aren't able to access the specialist treatment that they need – it painful to have to turn away patients who are too complex knowing they may end up on long waiting lists, or be offered inappropriate treatments.

3. What's the biggest lesson you have learnt in recent years?
To trust the gradual unfolding of life more – its easy to assign too much power to graft and goals and get locked into struggle, pushing to make things happen. When I follow what's flowing, keep taking small steps and trust things to take their own time, I'm happier and I see good results.

4. If you could wave a magic wand and have one wish for you or your coaching practice, what would it be and why?
Sponsorship from generous donor so I can focus on the teaching and the work and forget the marketing and making ends meet!

5. Tell us a fact that not many people know about you ...
I lived for a year on a narrow boat. With no running water. And a toddler.