I set up Optimus Coach Academy in 2019 as I saw a gap in the market based on my own experience going through coach training and working with 1000s of coaches.
After completing 100s of hours of training I found that the focus was either transactional based heavily on the GROW model or more theory based with essays and exams and less practice and feedback.
I believe that coaching is a practical skills so wanted to create a programme that used psychology-informed approaches rather than solely normative models and make it practice-heavy.
I wanted to create a space where students felt seen and valued and there was a level of personalised support and individual care.
My desire to do this comes from over 30 years experience studying Psychology with a BA in Psychology & Management, a MA in Psychology & Education and a PGCERT in Psychology & Coaching. Psychology infuses the curriculum at Optimus and there is a strong emphasis on research and relevance.
I combine my psychological knowledge with decades of training and teaching experience. I equally have been coaching for many years with over 10,000 coaching hours across sectors this gave me the expertise to create something unique at Optimus.
In 2016 I set up my own coaching business after 100s of hours of coaching mainly in the leadership space and in my role. I found in my own coaching business I worked with a lot of coaches and many of them lacked confidence in their coaching skills or had limited or basic training. When I started to teach people more about coaching in some of my business courses they loved it and it validated the idea of starting Optimus.
My education background meant that I was able to design the curriculum, build the learning environment, train the trainers and create a great experience for students. I went from leading a secondary school to creating my own academy for adults.
After many years of deliberation Optimus was born in 2019 providing that space for people who wanted practical coach training which had it’s roots in psychology. Since it’s inception over 1250 students have been through the training and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with 99% of students rating the courses as good or excellent.
I knew when I set up Optimus continuing my coaching practice was important and I got my MCC in 2020 from the ICF, I followed this up with my ACTC in 2026 and have my MCS for coach mentoring for ACC, PCC and MCC. I’m proud to hold these accreditations and continue to commit to my own development.
Alongside all of this I’ve written three best selling books books and coached over 10,000 coaching hours both as an internal and external coach with individuals and organisations. As I’ve run my coaching business I know what it’s like “on the ground” and provide mentoring and support to students.
I wanted to create the training which wasn’t available when I was looking to train and create a community where people support each other during and after the course. The small group, weekly sessions and small team at Optimus do this well.
If you want a coach training school built on strong foundations with a compassionate, supportive feel and a founder who is involved and available then look no further than Optimus: I am truly passionate about what we do and I love nothing more than delivering the training.
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