I know what it’s like to lead while feeling overwhelmed and disconnected —and to begin looking for a more conscious way of being in the role.
Where it came together
Coaching became the place where everything converged.
I trained as a coach and became PCC-accredited with the ICF. I deepened my practice through Internal Family Systems and trauma-aware training, because leadership does not happen outside the nervous system.
What shapes my work is not a single discipline, but the integration of many:
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narrative and identity
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learning and development
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power and systems
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psychology and presence
I work with leaders who understand — sometimes painfully — that their inner world now matters as much as their outer role.
I believe that
Leadership is not a set of skills.
It is a relationship:
with authority
with responsibility
with uncertainty
with yourself
When leaders become more self-aware and emotionally free, they don’t just change their behaviour. They change the atmosphere around them
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Why I do what I do
I’m drawn to the inner life of leadership.
To the moments people don’t talk about —when responsibility weighs heavily, when authority feels lonely, when competence masks uncertainty, when patterns repeat despite good intentions.
I care about making the human condition legible.
About putting words to experiences people feel but struggle to name.
When someone feels understood — truly seen — something loosens.
Possibility returns. Choice becomes available.
This is what gives me energy when I wake up in the morning.
Leadership today carries unprecedented expectation.
Never before have we asked so much of individuals inside roles —
to be decisive and collaborative,
visionary and regulated,
strong and endlessly available.
We expect leaders to hold systems together while remaining fully human within them.
Many do their best — and quietly pay the price.
In my work, I meet people who are capable, committed, and deeply alone with what they carry.
I see over-responsibility mistaken for care.
Conflict avoided until it hardens.
Creativity narrowed by pressure.
Burnout framed as resilience.
Often, people arrive long after their inner system has been asking for attention.
My work is shaped by a lifelong study of roles — on stage, in organisations, and within the psyche.
I continue to learn — through coaching, supervision, psychological study, and lived experience — how humans change, how patterns form, and how awareness interrupts what once felt inevitable. I work in ways that are trauma-aware and IFS-informed, because leadership does not happen outside the nervous system.
What keeps this work alive for me is that it never becomes mechanical.
There is no algorithm for presence.
No shortcut to maturity.
As long as curiosity remains, the work deepens.
This work matters to me because leadership shapes lives — quietly, daily, and often invisibly.
What we model travels far beyond us.
Into teams.
Into families.
Into systems we may never see.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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Words from my clients
"Through coaching I've gained profound self awareness, learning to identify and understand behaviour patterns. The strategies to overcome blocks and fear have been extremely helpful. Ana's insightful, conversational approach and her deep understanding of the creative field have made our sessions invaluable."
Kumiko Mendl,
Theatre Director
I was lucky to have my employer sponsor coaching with Ana and I have gained so much more confidence in my leadership since. Fast forward one year later and I have written my own novel, whilst in charge of over £1 million budget- finally balancing my creative and professional life.
Joanne Calcutt,
Senior leader
You're only 3 steps away from transforming your leadership
01
Choosing how we work together
There are a few ways into this work.
I offer 1:1 coaching, as well as occasional group cohorts that combine shared reflection with individual integration.
We begin with a conversation — not to decide quickly, but to sense what would be most supportive at this point.
02
A rhythm that allows reflection
Our work is supported by a digital space that holds notes, reflections, and prompts between sessions.
This allows the work to continue beyond the conversation —
at a pace that respects your nervous system, your responsibilities, and your capacity.
03
What tends to shift over time
As the work integrates, people often notice changes in how they relate to themselves and others.
Awareness deepens.
Presence steadies.
Clarity emerges — not as certainty, but as coherence.
Leadership begins to feel less effortful, and more inhabited.
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Personal
Notes
I was born in Portugal and have lived across several cultures — India, the USA, Brazil — before settling in London over twenty years ago. Moving between worlds shaped how I see people, belonging, and difference.
Family matters deeply to me. I share life with my wife, our son, and a very observant cat.
My faith is Christian — held with conviction and openness. I’m curious about other traditions and how different belief systems make meaning of life, suffering, and love.
Travel and culture continue to inform my work. Being elsewhere helps me see more clearly — about myself, and about the systems we inhabit.
