Practitioner Diploma / “I wanted a provider whose training was recognised by bodies such as ICF & EMCC”

Jo Ibbott completed the Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching in 2017. Now working as an executive menopause coach and leadership coach, she is on a mission to support women through this very natural transition through coaching and help clients identify and manage the impact of menopause and its symptoms. She is also part of the leadership team of Freedom Church, Romsey and Centre Manager of the Romsey Christians Against Poverty Debt Centre. We were delighted to talk to her about her experience of coach training and her work as a professional coach.

Your professional background has been focused on working as a chaplain and Family Support Worker at Oasis Community Learning and as community leader and CAP Debt centre manager at the Freedom Church. Who or what introduced you to coaching and led to you signing up for coach training with the AoEC?

My role as Chaplain at Oasis necessitated a lot of listening. I always felt I was a good listener but would find myself getting frustrated that the conversation didn’t always move forward. I’d talk to people who were stuck professionally, in their parenting or personally and feel that the conversation would go round and round, I was a very good ‘advice giver’ which sometimes landed, but I felt there was something missing in my skills to help people grow, get unstuck and make lasting change. I was attracted to the idea of coaching because it equips you with those skills, and to quieten the ‘advice monkey’. There are lots of organisations offering training, I wanted a provider whose training was recognised by bodies such as ICF and EMCC. I started to talk to experienced coaches and the AoEC was the one that was recommended! 

What were some of the positives and challenges you experienced while doing the diploma?

The training was a positive experience for me. I loved how we were thrown in at the deep end early on, putting ‘coaching skills’ into practice, being assessed and receiving constructive feedback. It was challenging as you feel vulnerable and asking open questions is much harder than you think!

What is your top advice to others considering coach training?

Ask yourself why you want to coach. Coaches are generally people who want to help others. If you like to be acknowledged for the help you’ve given someone then don’t become a coach! As coaches it’s not about us, it’s about helping the person find their own solution. We are there to hold the space for our clients, to be their co-thinker, we’re not their rescuer or saviour and we may never know the difference we have made.

Looking back at doing your diploma, what has been its lasting impact on you as a person and you as a coach?

When I completed the Practitioner Diploma the two questions we had to answer were ‘Who am I’ and ‘How do I coach’. At the beginning I thought that sounded quite straightforward, but the journey I went on to understand who I am, what and who has made me, me, was incredible. The process required courage and vulnerability which was challenging but I can honestly say hugely rewarding too. The lasting impact has been that I know myself better, I value my personal values, I’m happier with WHO I am and I’m less prone to comparison (which is the thief of joy by the way). As a coach I have developed a model of coaching that helps others build this same courage to be vulnerable, that allows room for self-acceptance, self-awareness and growth.

Can you tell us more about your personal coaching model and how this has evolved since doing the diploma?

As a coach, I prioritise creating a safe space where clients can find the courage to be vulnerable, embrace their challenges, build self-acceptance, and empower themselves to make meaningful changes.

You now have your own successful practice Courage Coaching; can you tell us about the type of clients you are working with?

I have now specialised as a menopause coach. It’s the psychological symptoms that have the biggest impact on women in perimenopause and menopause. We are beginning to understand the impact of this now through research; too many women are stepping back, aside or out of the workforce. My coaching is focused on helping women understand and make positive changes so that they are not undermined by menopause in work and life.

What are some of the issues and opportunities you coach people around?

The issues are around feeling ‘less capable’ and losing confidence which coincides with the onset of perimenopause. Dealing with ageism and feelings of being ‘invisible’. Brain fog is real and can be hugely debilitating. I coach women around managing symptoms, putting strategies in place to make a positive difference and accepting that some things may need to change. We work on rebuilding confidence and who they are as a leader now, we look for opportunities for growth asking what perimenopause and menopause teaches them, we look at what’s positive and what we can learn. There are huge opportunities here to rewrite the narrative.

You have gone onto set up What the Fog? Facebook group. Can you tell us more about the services this offers and how people can become involved?

The group was set up primarily to support women going through perimenopause and menopause. When I set it up four years ago there was little or no information available, so I created a space to educate, inform and build community. We now have nearly 5k members. What saddens me is that still, when joining the group, women say they feel isolated and have little understanding. That’s so sad considering half the population go through this! I thought things would be different now we have celebrities openly talking about it and so many brilliant campaigns to educate people. It shows we still have a long way to go! I intend to keep doing everything I can to provide opportunity for women to learn so they are not undermined but can thrive.

Can you share a success story or testimonial from one of your clients that highlights the impact of your coaching?

This is from a group coaching programme I developed called “Leading through the Fog – navigating menopause with knowledge and confidence”.

“I joined Jo's Lttfog programme because I recognised that I was struggling with perimenopause symptoms but knew that unless I intentionally set aside some time and space to work through what that really means and how best to handle it things were unlikely to improve. I'm really glad I made that choice! Six sessions with Jo and three other lovely ladies later and I feel so much better. I learnt a lot more about what perimenopause is and things I can do to help myself better handle the changes and challenges that brings. More importantly though I grew in confidence again as I realised that I'm not alone, this is something lots of other women are going through at the same time as me and that if we can face it together it can actually become something positive.” Julia – Assistant Prison Governor

What do you find most rewarding about your work as a coach?

Helping women discover it’s not them, it’s perimenopause!

I love those lightbulb moments when a person discovers why they’re stuck. Perhaps it’s due to a limiting belief, a habit or a pattern of thought that isn’t serving them well, they then have the keys to get unstuck! I love seeing people grow in confidence and self-acceptance too.

Our deepest gratitude to Jo for sharing her personal journey and experience of coach training at the AoEC.