“My reason for setting up Whole Self Leadership came from an inner longing to feel whole and accepted in all the various parts of myself. So often due to challenges, often from childhood, we become either “provers” or “pleasers.”
In my case I was a “prover.” I had a hunger for knowledge and a prodigious appetite for words. I used to believe that I would find the answer to those big questions through reading. Developing my mind was all part of my deep yearning for love and approval. Even though I got a first class honours degree, an MBA and then landed a great job as a consultant at PwC (one of the big four consultancies) there was still an inner restlessness. 15 years ago, I found Reiki and that helped to open up my mind to new possibilities and a new way of being. It still took another eight years before I had the courage to set up my business. And that was only because of a big wake up call: I ended up in a women’s hospital in Warsaw in August 2011 and had to have an emergency operation to contain blood loss.
“You give me the confidence, support, direction and understanding to be me, to learn to be comfortable about who I am and help me achieve my true dreams and aspirations. The qualities you bring to the table are honesty, transparency, out of the box thinking, a beautiful soul and positive reinforcement. You are not afraid to question and can often see things from a different perspective. I am able to connect with you both emotionally and professionally, which is a rare combination to find” ~ Robert Isherwood.
And what happened next:
The investment I made in myself led to many insights some of them came instantaneously others came over time. In the first thirty years of my life I felt a great deal of anger towards my parents. The story I told myself was that they had treated me differently to my brother. Whilst there was some truth in that what it took me years to see was that it was a blessing. It gave me a strong sense of social justice and led to me on this path to doing work that I love.
What took even longer for me to recognise was that due to inadequate mothering, I had over-developed my internal masculine which was why I needed to prove that I was as competent if not more capable than my brother. It was probably rather unbearable being in my company back then because I needed to show how much I knew, how brilliant I was. In short my ego was having a field day!
I share this because it is what enables me to really understand other Alpha females because I was one for so long. Today I work with powerful females, often leaders in their field and help them rebalance their masculine and feminine. It can feel really scary to show your vulnerability and yet that is what your soul yearns for.
In a similar way I have great success working with men and women who are very in touch with their feminine but struggle to find a way to express their authority because they are too busy pleasing others and trying to ensure that everything is harmonious. In so doing they forget their own needs.
I guess for years I was always in a hurry, finding it hard to slow down, to take a breath because I had so much to prove. I finally realised that there are no quick fixes that it is about showing up consistently with love. That said I totally appreciate clients’ desire for results and because I work intuitively when I work one to one with you, it only takes between 6 – 9 sessions to get the shift you are looking for.
My intentions:
To work with individuals, teams, organisations and young people so that they understand and appreciate that emotions are energy in motion. Also to grasp the concept that if you consistently suppress or repress your feelings, you are in danger of experiencing issues with your physical health. Wanting to work with young people has come out of learning how to be a mum to a daughter with dyslexia, dyspraxia and processing issues.
Currently there is a lot of talk about mental health but I believe it has been misnamed and should be renamed emotional health. These are more that beliefs they are based on my reality such as what happened in Poland in 2011.
I am a big thinker who loves conversation and playing with ideas and so one of my gifts is the ability to blend all that I have learnt to help you find a new, fresh perspective. Another is my ability to get to the heart of the issue with laser-like precision thanks to my logical mind. The process I use with individuals, teams and organisations is creative enabling people to get out of their head so that they can start trusting their intuition and so see more of the bigger picture. It is powerful because it combines healing, therapy and coaching.
Some of the tools that I use such as colour and running fire walks are not widely understood and yet they are very effective in helping clients address their subconscious fears. I am very much an advocate of what Arthur Koestler wrote: Magic is the science we don’t understand yet.
What I offer is space for deep connection in recognition that underneath every complaint and behaviour that is what people are seeking. When you feel you belong, you can then create a business that is a force for good. I say that having a deep understanding of inclusion: I set up the first women’s network in PwC, after establishing the firm’s Public Sector Consulting Practice; I was also a mentor for the Network of Black Professionals and have looked at ways to increase representation in organisations as well as doing a Diversity Audit of the House of Commons.
I attended one of Kate's introduction to mindfulness retreat days and although my intention was to attend for professional development, I found the meditation techniques enabled me to open up parts of my mind that I hadn't realised needed opening! I have a history of depression and use mindfulness myself; Kate's teaching and guidance through the meditations were great and I felt very relaxed all day. As a Mum myself and a professional who works with new Mums I believe Kate's friendly style of working would be hugely beneficial to support anyone going through a stressful life change to reach a place of acceptance that enables them to enjoy life more. Rebecca McCann
Sarah Thomson
I attended Kate's Mindfulness course at Harmony, I found it a really helpful tool in my own exploration of how being more mindful could help me with my ongoing battle with depression. Learning how prone I am to over thinking has been a huge life lesson, & finding ways to take time out from my over active brain has been most welcome. Kate's approach is very friendly and she makes something I'd previously perceived as very spiritual, feel accessible and applicable to everyday life. Sarah Thompson
Catherine Adcock, Nurse
I spent an amazing weekend with Kate and fellow students learning about mindfulness and more importantly putting it into practice. I gained deep meditation which I have never experienced before and am incorporating mindfulness into my daily activity. Spending the weekend enabled a mindset change. Kate is inspirational and a great leader. The room was pleasant to be in and I felt nourished and cared for by others and myself. The food was amazing too. Very well looked after thank you Kate. Catherine Adcock, Nurse
Mandy Jones, Mum
After months of feeling very stressed and getting easily upset and feeling like I couldn’t always cope very well with life I decided to do Kate s Mindfulness course. I really enjoyed the weekend. Kate was so friendly and warm and made me feel safe to open up. I really enjoyed the relaxation sessions and already feel like my mind is freer and I can focus my mind better by not getting as wrapped up with issues inside my head! I hope that this will continue to improve as I practise the mindfulness techniques. Kate brought along a selection of colour essential oil spritzers as well which was also interesting to learn about and incorporate in the sessions. It was all very relaxing and had a retreat kind of feel. The lunch was lovely too!! Would definitely recommend. It definitely made me rethink a lot of things, which was really beneficial for me. Mandy Jones, Mum
Mel Peeke, Trainer at Add-Vance
Having asked Kate to consider teaching her mindfulness techniques to children with high-functioning autism (and their parents!) she put together a lovely weekend of activities to introduce the ideas. We particularly enjoyed her emphasis on colour therapy. She has a calm and positive manner which immediately put the children at ease and was very flexible depending on the energy levels in the room. Overall this was an enjoyable experience and has given my daughter useful skills for life. Mel Peeke, Trainer at Add-Vance – a charity that supplies specialist advice to families with children on the Spectrum
Michelle Witton, Compliance Lawyer
I greatly enjoyed and benefited from Kate’s weekend Mindfulness course. Harmony is a convenient lovely and peaceful venue. Kate shared with the group many varied approaches to Mindfulness and practical exercises over the 2 days though at no time did the course feel rushed. Kate is a warm and encouraging leaders and group facilitator. The lunches on both days were delicious. The course was great value meaningful and an uplifting experience. Michelle Witton, Compliance Lawyer
Suzanne Johnson, Hypnotherapist
I came along to one of Kate's classes quite early on and was impressed with how much I went away with. The session included so much more than basic meditation it covered many ways that we can incorporate mindfulness into our daily lives which makes it viable for everyone no matter how busy you are! Suzanne Johnstone
Elham Kashefi, Founder of the Tara Project
I had a soul path reading with Kate a few days ago which was just beautiful and I'm very grateful for. This was part of a Colour Therapy session during which Kate used my date of birth to identify which Colour bottles represented my soul path. Kate's loving energy beamed at me throughout the reading and I found it so touching for some one I had only just met to be so insightful and accurate about who I am essentially. It was like meeting with an old friend that I trusted implicitly whose wisdom helped clarify what steps I could take right now to support my path. If you're considering getting a reading, I'd say do it. Thank you Kate. Elham Kashefi, Founder of the Tara Prject (Natural Health Service in the North West)
Jen Tiller, Founder of Healerzone
It was a real pleasure to have a session with Kate recently. The accuracy of the Soul Path Reading, her intuitive input, and the formal meanings of the colour bottles together brought a new perspective and awareness to my journey. Kate's open hearted communication is something that resonates strongly with me, and I have come to trust her deep integrity. Thanks Kate. Jen Tiller, Founder of Healerzone
Sarah Graham, Artist
I had no idea what colour therapy involved, but being a professional artist, I do understand the power and energy of colour, so it wasn't hard for me to get my head around! In fact out of all the alternative therapies, to me this makes so much sense. We are all drawn to certain colours, & understanding that this can have greater meaning for ourselves and who we are makes perfect sense. The bottles I chose featured many of my favorite colours to paint, so the whole experience has helped me not only understand myself but even my career!! Thanks Kate and I'll definitely recommend this to friends and family. Sarah Graham
Katy Orna-Ornstein
Recently I took advantage of a very generous offer from Kate to have a 'free' colour taster session with the request to donate to dyslexia research. Having been intrigued by the idea of colour therapy and how it might work I went along with an open mind. Goodness, what an insightful and enlightening 30 mins I had.
Kate posed questions and comments that were intrinsically 'right' and that went deep into past experiences or feelings: things I'd forgotten were part of me. Kate's atmosphere was warm, welcoming, trusting and I felt in safe hands. I was so sorry the 30 mins had to come to an end, I could have spent so much longer with Kate. Kate's relaxed atmosphere and skill in delivering the session left me feeling I had a new friend whom I trusted and will look forward to spending more time with. Thank you Kate. Katy Orna-Ornstein
Wendy Johnstone, VA Services
I had the pleasure of attending a colour and mindfulness taster session last Friday with Kate. I wasn't too sure what to expect though from the moment I met Kate I totally felt at ease. Kate did a colour reading for me, which totally blew me away,the words really resonated to the point where it made me feel really emotional. After selecting the coloured bottles which represented my journey, Kate was extremely insightful and accurate about who I am and shared some skills that I had not been aware of before. I thoroughly enjoyed the session and would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of giving it a try. Thanks Kate x. Wendy Johnstone, VA Services
Colin Smith, The Listener
I recently experienced a soul path reading by Kate using her colour therapy bottles.
After I chose the bottles that resonated most for me Kate began her reading. Kate began by looking at all of the bottles I had chosen and offered her observations on what she was seeing and intuitively picking up from them. After that she walked me through the meaning of each bottle. What I particularly liked about this is that Kate was able to relate the meaning back to me, my life and where I was on my journey. Throughout she was able to relate the various bottles to the other ones, and then to gradually build up an overall picture for me.
Without question, Kate is a gifted healer and a joy to spend time with, either face to face or on a Skype call. I felt immediately at ease talking with her as she is calm, engaging, interesting and interested, curious and unhurried. I really felt she was there for me and wanted to support me on my journey.
Overall, I felt that the reading was accurate, interesting and thought provoking. It has certainly caused me to go deeper, to look at aspects of my life that I had previously ignored and to join more of the dots together. I would be happy to recommend Kate. ColinSmith
Andrea Southam, Florist
I had a very interesting reading with Kate as part of a colour therapy session and felt very calm and grounded after the experience. It was amazing what Kate picked up on through the colours that I choose. It was very accurate and thought provoking. I would definitely recommend Kate's sessions to my friends. Good luck Kate with your new venture. Andrea Southam
Emily Orna-Ornstein, Student
I had such a powerful reading with Kate I asked my 18 year old daughter to go along. My daughter agreed rather skeptically. At the end of her session my lovely daughter had a lightness about her I hadn't seen for a long time, she seemed to understand herself better and be in a far better place to move on from painful experiences. Since then generally that attitude has remained, and I'm delighted to say she remains positive, open to new experiences and seems happier within herself. I too feel I know myself better and have an energy to move on things I've wanted to achieve for a long time but somehow never seemed to get going. I wholeheartedly recommend colour therapy as a way of understanding yourself better, regaining motivation, positivity, energy and simply feeling in a better place within yourself. Emily Orna-Ornstein, Student
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