Nothing changes if you don't change as a kids life coach

After the pandemic, I saw first hand how the mental wellbeing needs of children needed to be prioritised and this is what led me to make a few much needed changes.  Those changes just happened to be in me. Without seeing the curve ball coming, the pandemic dysregulated my own nervous system just like it did for many millions of people around the world...possibly even you?

As a high performing person, I suddenly found that I was unable to function optimally. I literally fell to pieces....in more ways than one. This was devastating to me, since I was walking the walk and talking the talk - doing what I could to maintain my own physical and mental health yet nothing seemed to work?

The good news is that in the fragments of me falling apart, it led me to the most wonderful exploration of complex trauma and pressing pause on expansion and growth within my organisation so that I could spend time taking care of my own wellbeing. 

"Nothing changes if nothing changes"

This pause gave me the breathing space to recalibrate and to listen and to see and to acknowledge changes that needed to happen within my organisation but most importantly within myself.

As a former special needs school teacher I have managed to navigate the rocky road of setting up and running my own organisation and learning what needed to be learnt. I have been committed to the wellbeing of children and willingly shared my knowledge with like minded people wanting to fast track their journey since 2009. 

• Has the road been bumpy...for sure!!
• Have I always gotten it perfect? Absolutely not!
• Have I been willing to learn and grow. A big yes to that!
• Am I committed? An affirmative again!

 As the founder of The Kids Life Coach Academy and The Kids Life Studio®, I have walked a fulfilling two decade road of developing a play based coaching model now used in 45 countries around the world. This took many hours of research, preparation, trial and error and personal sacrifices. 

As a result, I have been in a position to offer training to amazing professionals and as a result kids life coaching is now on the map! Not because of my idea...but because hundreds of amazing people were willing to take my methods and philosophies on board and collaborate, connect and contribute! They have lovingly adapted my model with my blessings to meet the needs of their local communities. They are the true heroes that I admire and who have kept me going when I felt like I didn't have the energy to continue. Read their testimonials here.

So as the years have evolved, I have evolved. What I have learnt is that being in the limelight and on radio and television and on social media and writing books and winning awards was just another form of self validation that I needed to boost my fragile self esteem. All in an effort to mask my complex trauma that I had been hiding for decades behind an addiction to my work that I love with all my heart. In the process, I lost myself...I also began to recognise other kids life coaches around me doing the same! 

I have navigated immense pain from being childless and also realising unspeakable truths about my childhood and feeling abandoned by people who didn't understand my trauma. I needed immense healing. I just didn't realise that this was to come in the form of me completing my Masters Degree in Clinical Child Psychology during the pandemic and now as a DPhil student of Psychiatry at Oxford University. I am now masterful at understanding trauma and my current research is navigating novel solutions to solve our global mental health challenge. 

I am no longer coaching children myself - my full time doctorate has me occupied. The good news is that I have handed the baton over to our global network who are committed to being world class kids life coaches! I am no longer solely in the limelight like I used to be because I am behind the scenes pottering away doing research. I now do this with peace of mind because I know there is a global team of change makers raising the banner for children in their local communities. This excites me immensely!!

Me going quiet was the best thing that happened to me and to our organisation. It allowed children's change makers within our organisation to find themselves too! It gave us all permission to show up as authentic with relationships being our highest value. No window dressing...no fancy bits. Just a love for children and the work we have been called to do!

So here I am to say if you have stuck with me and read this far...watch this space...if you think I have been quiet because I have lost momentum...that is not the truth. In fact, my very dynamic admin team and I have been working behind the scenes to implement a plan of action to bolster our reach and to navigate the new and tricky waters of kids life coaching that are quickly becoming murky with 'fly by night' and 'low quality' training providers. 

We proudly maintain that we have been leading the way in the kids life coaching space since 2003 and we will continue to do so! If you want to join our global team, click here to fill in a statement of interest and download a prospectus.

If you have been meaning to enrol in our training but something has been holding you back, go and check out our new payment plans available for our Level 1 Theory and Level 2 Coach Certification.

If you are ready to commit, check out our Level 1 - 3 package saver offer. It is a great way to setup your own coaching practice with the support you need!

If you are already a coach within our network...I am sending big zealsome hugs your way! Thank you for walking alongside me!

Apologies for being so wordy in this blog...but nothing changes if nothing changes...and we are changing as kids life coaches to meet the tide! Will you join us in our mission to coach children to be the leaders of their own life?? Or will you go it alone? The choice is yours..either way...our global team and I are here for you!

Sending much love and zeal your way!

Zelna 

Founder Kids Life Coach Academy and Kids Life Studio®