ithaca life coaching

Hi, I’m Melissa. I’m a life coach with over a decade of professional experience offering personal support. I worked as Classics and History of Art teacher for many years before I trained as a certified life coach. I coach a range of ages but I specialise in coaching individuals at university,  in their twenties and early thirties. If there’s a specific goal you’d love to reach or you’re experiencing a more generalised sense of lack or stuck-ness, please do reach out. Your Ithaca journey awaits!

True to traditional life coaching, I help clients to formulate and attain specific goals like better anxiety-management, navigating a life transition, finding fulfilment, figuring out what to do next, building a happier lifestyle…

My coaching blends this approach with something more essential: building self-esteem. If the goal is the destination point, then self-esteem is the inner motor that will get you there. It’s a process that involves practising self-acceptance, responsibility, purposeful living, integrity, self-assertion. With those, any goal is possible! 

I offer a warm, non-judgemental space for you to gain clarity on where and how a lack of self-esteem is holding you back. I ask gently challenging questions to facilitate exploration and  to help you to discover (or rediscover!) your inner resources and capabilities.

I share neuroscience-based strategies to help you to manage critical thoughts, develop positive thinking, dismantle unhelpful mind-loops and limiting beliefs, build self-nourishing habits,  intentionally respond rather than automatically react.

I also share simple, effective practices of mindfulness for you to become more attuned to your body and its key signals. 

I may also draw on (light!) Classical and Eastern philosophy for a touch of inspiration!

For me, no one has defined it better than expert Nathaniel Branden as a combo of self-efficacy and self-respect. i.e…

• confidence in your ability to think and cope with the basic challenges of life

• confidence in your right to be happy, feel worthy, assert your needs & wants, and live according to your values 

That means self-esteem is at the core of resilience, wellbeing, flexibility, self-regulation, competency, connection, fulfilment, joy… If you’re missing those, get in touch!