Stories

I started my career in recruitment running a small firm placing staff in height net worth private households. However, as I approached my late twenties I had to scratch my health coaching itch. I trained with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) receiving my level 4 diploma as a Health Coach Practitioner and then discovered Coaching Development. Since joining the course, I have never looked back and am now in the early stages of launching my new health coaching business.

My Dad is a coach (and trained with coaching development) so he was a big influence on me, I was fascinated hearing how the coaching approach differs from therapy which resonated with me hugely. Following a breakdown in my early twenties, I became passionate about holistic health and how we can optimise this to improve longevity and our quality of life. Since starting my training journey, I have never looked back and now being able to support people dealing with similar health issues that I once experienced, is the most fulfilling and rewarding job I could ask for.

At Iona James Coaching, I help ambitious individuals break free from anxiety and burnout and build resilience to stress so they can reclaim their health and confidence. Whether its stress management, sleep problems, gut/digestive issues, low energy or issues with focus and productivity, I support my clients return to a new baseline of health and mindset; strong, calm and resilient.

Coaching Development has a fantastic balance of learning and doing. Whilst the modules have considerable amounts of information to consume, the trainer’s make this more manageable by designing exercises to help you put into practice what you are learning. This was hugely helpful for me and meant I was able to absorb the information a lot more effectively. I also really enjoyed our coaching observations, both of my observers were hugely professional and informative, giving you live feedback on your coaching so you can continually improve your technique whilst establishing your unique coaching style.

What I offer isn’t another diet, wellness trend, or quick fix. My approach goes deeper, getting to the patterns that keep you stuck, like perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-criticism, and always being ‘in your head’. The patterns that quietly let anxiety and stress run the show. Many of my clients look like they have it all together. They’re successful at work, keeping up appearances, showing up for others. But inside, something feels off. The symptoms aren’t always obvious; it’s often a quiet sense of overwhelm or disconnection that’s hard to name. But it’s only when we start to unpack what’s really going on beneath the surface that lasting change becomes possible. Through behavioural coaching, personalised lifestyle strategies, and powerful mindset work, we’ll get to the root, so you can create real, sustainable change. Not another plan to stick to, but a life that feels good.

Do this! Even if coaching doesn’t end up being your sole career, what you learn on this course is invaluable for your personal life, too. It can be confronting at times, but in the best way, and I developed exponentially as a person during the course, ending up with a greater sense of awareness and confidence. Coaching can be brought to so many different industries in various ways, therefore I believe this training will always benefit you, one way or another.