I’m a perfectly imperfect human, just like you.

I’m a depression survivor, recovering overthinker and ongoing work in progress.

I made the call four years ago that the corporate world was no longer the place for me and that, instead, I wanted (and needed) to make a tangible contribution to something that was truly important to me.

Through the ups and downs of my own mental health journey, I’ve learned so much about the way my mind works and it’s something I’ll continue to be curious about for the rest of my life.

And through my work as a coach, I want to help you to do the same.

How I ended up here…

I grew up believing that if I did well in exams and was generally a nice person then life would co-operate and I’d live happily ever after.

By my mid-twenties I was working at Deloitte in a role that I was loving, I’d found myself a boyfriend, bought my first flat and then, to top it all off, the boyfriend proposed so I was on track to get married and 100% ready to live happily ever after.

I felt like, at last, my world was problem free. I had it all under control. I’d finally made it to the promised land of successful adulting. Now it was time to, finally, be happy.

And then I got hit by a steam train – not literally but nearly as bad – my fiancé cheated on me and we split up.

I was sort of alright for about six months. And then I crashed.

I eventually worked out that I needed to speak to my GP and I was diagnosed with depression. I took medication and started seeing a therapist.

I spent the next few years seriously wrestling with my own mind.

 

If I was meant to be so intelligent then surely I could solve the puzzle of why I was so unhappy, I could turn off the negative thoughts and I could work out how to be the successful person that I wanted to be?

What I’ve learnt…

Gradually, over the last 10+ years I’ve learnt, and am slowly coming to accept, that it doesn’t work like that.

I’ve learnt that thoughts are just words. That, often, they are neither helpful nor true. That they can’t be turned off but that they will pass if we let them.

I’ve learnt that we live our lives in seasons – each season feels different and every season, good or bad, inevitably comes to an end.

I’ve learnt that we get to choose what’s important to us and we get to choose how we react to the things that happen to us.

Other things you might like to know about me…

I live in Wandsworth, South West London with the love of my life, a three-year-old Shih Tzu called Rocky (pic above).

At the time of writing (Sept 2018) I’m four months pregnant, having made the bold/insane decision to go ahead with having a baby on my own via donor insemination (you can read more about that here).

I have a degree in Economics from Bristol University.

I’m also a Chartered Accountant – yes, I passed all the exams eventually.

I trained as a coach in 2010 whilst working for the Head of HR at Deloitte and have done various subsequent trainings, including becoming an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Practitioner.

I don’t always looks like an athlete but I have always loved sport and exercise – I’ve played tennis all my life, trained as a yoga teacher and briefly worked as a personal trainer.

I love New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the colour purple (the actual colour, not the film), animal print and avocado.

The world I’d like to live in…

Where we never feel the need to apologise for who we are. 
 
Where we know we are strong and courageous enough to show more of ourselves (and in doing that, give others the permission to do the same).
 
Where openly messy humans are celebrated for being brave, strong and interesting.
 
Where we know that we can both feel great just as we are and, at the same time, still want to grow.
 
Where we know what we need to do and how we need to think in order to have a really healthy relationship with ourselves.

“I first came across Hana when I was stuck in a bit of a rut with life. Got a job, got a handful of kids, a house and everything was ticking along...nothing was wrong, but the future didn't look or feel... 'planned'. I felt like I was trundling along, wasn't taking any control of anything and couldn't see the wood for the trees.

The first time I met Hana was a bit of a revelation. I'm a busy mum with a full time job and kids to feed: nobody ever asks about me!

I really started to examine what my priorities were - for me and for my family, both in the short and the long term.

Nothing has really changed on the outside but I’ve noticed my mindset completely changing as I’ve spent more time with Hana – I’ve learnt to let go more easily, acknowledge the things I’m good at (and not feel bad about feeling good about that) and how to break things down into bite-sized pieces.

Talking to Hana has been a very positive experience for me. She has a wonderful, positive energy, she's insightful, hugely supportive and she doesn't judge.

She encouraged me to view my life through a slightly different lens, and I'm very grateful for that. I would thoroughly recommend her to anyone - whether you're looking to make a real step-change in life or just need a new perspective, Hana is immensely helpful.”

Ciara, Wandsworth

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