“Amanda’s leadership support helped me in many ways. Coaching with her touched me deeply because she helped me visualise a world of opportunities, of change, and my added value to the social justice movements I serve. As someone who experienced intersecting forms of discrimination, I felt safe and able to talk about my traumas and fears. She helped me understand how I can best deal with uncomfortable situations and build my resilience at work.” [more]

Dennis van Wanrooij, ILGA World, GIESC Programme Manager

I became a professional coach as a way to cultivate my supervisory skills when I was a team director. Today I coach others – from executive directors to emerging leaders – through a self-reflective, learning process I call accompaniment.

We start by delving into the underlying motivations for our desires, actions and reactions. And then together we craft ways to change and grow.

A gardener will often focus on soil health rather than plant appearance. I find similarities with leadership: fortify and change from the depths (our gut reactions, feelings, beliefs) rather than the surface (what we think we should say or do).

I usually do not give advice on what to do or how to act. We start an accompaniment process by clarifying what you want to achieve and then setting a timeline and milestones for the process. Together we identify what challenges you are facing in your leadership role.

We work through a combination of conversation, learning exercises and occasional homework assignments.

As with all my work, accompaniment sessions may also include somatic exercises: breathing, guided visualisation, and physical movement.