Cath Lloyd

Ever since I finished my degree I have always taken an interest in others. Adult education teaching in the arts allowed me to feed this interest as I would spend a lot of time talking with my students about their families, their holidays and hobbies. This interest lead me into teaching and setting up other courses. This allowed me look at a range of processes that I was able to bring together and help the whole person instead of defined areas that the education system was forcing me into. Life events, our thoughts processes and our attitudes play such a large part in what we do next in our journey through life. It was after a period of stress that I decided to start looking at different areas of work. First counselling and then life coaching. It was life coaching that I decided to pursue not only because my own personality type fitted better with this model but I wanted to help others move forwards to were they wanted to be. Since I have been working fulltime as a life coach I have been able to incorporate into my work breathing techniques, mindfulness, the use of essential oils and other holistic therapies. I finally decide to write my first book, 'Living With Normal: When my Dad Became Joan', out in the autumn 2017. This is my version of life after my Dad announced he was going to undergo transgender reassignment.

I started my working life making hand-built ceramics and teaching in adult education with the last 15 years in male offender learning. I originally started teaching in ceramics but cone in offender learning I soon moved onto general art design and then took a turn into social and life skills. I set up several successful courses: Parent Craft, Family Relationships, Healthy Living, Effective Thinking, Mentoring and Leadership Skills. After over 25 years I decided to take my teaching and life coaching skills in a different direction so that I could support others in a holistic way that the education system restricted. BA(Hons) Ceramics With Glass - 1987 PGCE - 2004 NCFE Level 2 in Counselling Skills - 2007 Personal Life Coaching, Coaching Academy - 2010 NLP Practitioners , Toby & Kate McCarthey - 2011 1st & 2nd Degree Reiki - 2016 Colour Reiki - 2016 AromaTouch Technique, doTERRA - 2016 Publications When Dad Became Joan 4 Steps to Emotional Freedom: How to be happy again after painful life changes TEDx Talk Wolverhampton Children of Transgender Parents Need Support Too.

I love working with males, females of all ages and even though I love supporting people in all areas of their life my key area is when people start saying to themselves, 'I just wish I felt normal.' When we are in the depths of change or on the pinnacle of toppling off our normal I am able to offer my clients a variety of techniques to start bringing back that feeling of normality and then working with them to find their normal balance and to move forwards so that become stronger, more confident, happier and more content to lead a successful life. Even though my book is about my life with a transgender father the strategies I use to support myself I also use to help my clients either on a one to one basis or in group events.

My approach is individually governed by what my client is looking for. They may want to work with me on a one to one basis or to make the most of peer support in the group courses. In all of these there will be elements of good breathing techniques, introduction to essential oils, mindfulness exercises, positive thought development and life coaching to empower the whole of the mind, body and soul. I have a range of events programmed into my year. 2017 events Recipe To Success series of courses in the winter and early spring 9th & 10th September - Exclusive 2 Day Wellness Retreat 26th November - Stress Relief Awareness Day Wednesday evenings at 8.00pm Let's Talk live Facebook sessions I also taking part in several large exhibitions: Achieve - Bath - 14th & 15th October Mind Body Spirit - Birmingham - 3rd - 5th November The Best You EXPO - London - February 2018