Dr Philippa Ridley - The Resilience Dr

17/11/2024

22/09/2024

I completed an outdoor coaching course this year and my outdoor sessions with clients are by far my favourite. The space and movement the outdoors creates for the conversation can expand thoughts, open up emotions, help us express ourselves and increase creativity in finding answers.
You just have to prepared for all weather in the UK!

31/12/2022

This Instagram post ( from Nicola J Hobbs ) resonates with my feelings towards New Years Resolutions. Life can be hard enough without adding punishing, unachievable and inflexible goals in the middle of winter! And her “RELAXED” questions are an effective approach to drawing out what is most important to you when considering positive change you can make in your life this year.

11/06/2022

I’m a tad lazy at producing social media content (understatement of the year! 😉) . And today is no exception.
This is a steal from Adam Grant’s Instagram but it resonates because that’s a lot of the work I am doing with my clients: the climbing out of the dips. But this kind of triumph I enjoy watching more.
And perhaps it’s why I’m not great at social media stuff - there’s a lot of “ top of the summit photos” and less of the “just climbed back to ground level”!

22/10/2021

I was recently reflecting on the number of clients this last year or two who after working with me have made big work decisions: whether to retire, change jobs, reduce hours or have those assertive conversations with bosses that led to an improvement in work conditions.
Just a reminder that resilience coaching isn't about encouraging stiff-upper-lip-and-carry-on-regardless! Rather, it is helping you recognise what your needs and priorities are, the available options to you and giving you the confidence to make better choices and navigate any challenges on the way.

27/04/2021

I really like this Japenese concept of Ikigai - translated "reason for being". Whether a school-leaver, graduate, retired, unemployed or working, it is a useful model that strives to help you find a lifestyle that balances the spiritual with the practical.....and ultimately more sense of fulfilment.

28/02/2021

The sunshine this weekend got me out in my garden for some tidying up. It gives me a kick of hope and optimism to see the green shoots of Spring growth starting to appear. As I struggled initially to be bold with the pruners on my overgrown shrubs, I started to liken it with coaching some of my clients. People often see a life coach because they aren’t feeling they are getting the most out of life. They want to change. And grow. And one of the toughest parts can be deciding how to make room for that growth because invariably it means cutting back somewhere else. And it can be hard to lose those familiar structures – they feel predictably safe.
But sometimes you just have to be a bit brave, and prune back what’s getting in the way, to truly blossom.

19/01/2021

A friend of mine recently shared in conversation that she’d been feeling uncharacteristically low in mood in the last week. At first, she had (mistakenly) worried herself that she was depressed. Then she took the decision to examine her emotional state with some curiosity and a little less judgement. She came to realise that a painful experience from her past was lurking and affecting how she was reacting and communicating with her, much loved, partner. They discussed this honestly and have moved forward in a positive way with better understanding and connection.

I was struck how she had really used those skills that I encourage clients to develop in ACT coaching: those of ACCEPTANCE of the more difficult parts of our personal experience but not in a victimized state, in an empowered way – letting the feelings come for the ride whilst choosing to live life COMMITTED to what is most important to us.

ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is an action-orientated, evidence-based psychological approach that stems from traditional cognitive behavioural therapy. What I like about it, is that it doesn’t assume there is a “healthy normal”. It assumes we all go through a life where we have to deal with suffering in one form or another whether it has been labelled a “clinical disorder” or not – boredom, loneliness, pain from loss, existential angst, low self-esteem - so it is a relevant and effective approach for us all.

12/12/2020

How important is your health to you? In my experience, most people put it as one of their top priorities. With my background as a GP, it’s not surprising that I enjoy helping clients work towards better physical health and mental wellbeing. Health focused coaching is exploring together what wellness means to you, recognising that it isn’t a stand alone factor but interwoven with nearly every other aspect of your life. Whether at the peak of fitness, or struggling with long term illness or injury, coaching can help you focus your efforts on the right things for you.
Picture courtesy of Anthony Eldridge-Rogers

27/10/2020

We all just LOVE a story, whether it's a good novel, a binge-worthy Netflix series or a blockbuster at the cinema.
But how is your story developing? I sometimes ask clients to imagine they are the leading character of a film they are watching about their life. Admittedly most of us are in a gritty Channel 4 drama rather than a Disney classic! "What do you want to see the protagonist of this story do next? How would you like to see them behave and what is most likely to lead to the best possible outcome for them? And in the hard times, what would be a story of resilience look like here?"
It can be a very powerful conversation.
No one can promise a Hollywood ending but at least you can enjoy the character development of the lead role.