At the age of four, my mother passed away. I have no memories of her and have never really recovered emotionally.

Shortly after her passing, my father re-partnered. I felt lost, with something always missing. Yes, it was my mum. But it was also the self-confidence, compassion, empathy, love, support, nurturing, reassurance and self-worth that I missed. I feared most things throughout childhood, including failure and socialising.

I suppressed emotions and remained hidden and quiet. At the time I did not know why I was feeling this way. I now know I did this to protect myself, retaining these suppressed emotions within. This then became self-perpetuating.

Through application and perseverance, I did reasonably well at school and progressed to university, studying environmental management and bushfire ecology. The natural environment and outdoors were my calling and where my heart was.

This led to a 20+ year career in protected area management - planning and managing various National Parks in Victoria and Queensland. I worked in marine and terrestrial environments, planning and operational roles, fire and emergency response, community development, leadership and management. This experience assisted my confidence and helped stem anxiety. I was extremely fortunate to visit and manage such amazing landscapes and work with incredibly passionate people, including community members.

Around two years ago I was suffering intense trauma, grief, pain, anxiety, resentment, frustration, and a range of other mixed emotions. I was unwell physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually – I felt there was no way forward to getting out of my dark place.

But then, almost magical things happened. I started to regain energy. I had clarity of mind and purpose. I was enjoying time alone and with others. I was balancing competing demands of work/life. I was getting out in sunshine, enjoying holidays and planning future dreams. I had purpose and direction.

It is unbelievable to think about it, really - I went from being terrified of my future state, to loving my new life and future dreams. Until recently, I couldn’t even sleep at night.

I was suffering on the inside and putting on a brave face on the outside. I had spent months working to repair my marriage and keep our family unit together. The intense stress ultimately led to me being admitted to hospital, where I remained for almost 3-weeks. This gave me time to think and process.

Separation from our marriage was my greatest fear – all that I had worked hard for over 20-years could come crashing down. It was terrifying. The close family unit and life I genuinely wanted was slipping right out of my hands.

Suddenly, my life was about to change. I was introduced to a person who made some interesting observations concerning my health that I did not believe at the time. I followed up for further discussion as I was intrigued. I received powerful coaching from this amazing person that helped me make tough decisions for myself, establish clear plans, and develop my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

I then continued to receive other support to assist with my recovery and personal development. My transformation and recovery from marriage separation has been amazing. I am now full of energy and abundance. I have more time for my children and I am at peace within.

I recently resigned from my stable government job of 20+ years to dedicate my time to life coaching, focusing on working with men recovering from separation and seeking direction in life. Using my skills and experience from previous senior leadership and management positions, I now assist people to transform their lives from stagnation and confusion, to clarity and abundance.

I love being able to serve with passion, purpose, knowledge and experience of what people may be encountering.