Meet the Team!
Because we do what it says on the tin - manage excellence - we've handpicked some of the country's best advocates of NLP to support our training, either as guest trainers or assistants.
All guest trainers are licensed by the Society of NLP to train and certify in Neuro Linguistic Programming. All Assistants are Master Practitioners of NLP.
Lead Trainer: Kay Cooke
Kay is an expert in teaching thinking skills and accelerated learning principles, combining her comprehensive coaching, teaching, lecturing and training background with the very latest applications of NLP and NLP in education.
As an award winning entrepreneur, Kay uses her flair for out of the box thinking to develop highly effective experiential learning and training courses for many industries.
"At the time I discovered NLP I was trying to make sense of my life's experiences, and despite much ‘outward' evidence of success, I still felt like my mind was being ‘driven'. NLP provided me with was a framework to take control of my thinking and therefore my future. I feel ‘liberated' by the choices that this psychology/technology has brought me and it would be impossible for me not to share this amazing toolkit with others. Every single aspect of my life has been enhanced through NLP."
Kay has been trained by many of the industry's leading names including Dr. Richard Bandler (co-founder of NLP), John La Valle (President for the Society of NLP), Paul McKenna (world famous hypnotist), Kate Benson (International Director of Education for the Society of NLP), Frank Farrelly (Provocative Therapy), Michael Neill, Stephen Brooks and many others.
Kay's creativity and passion as a trainer is hard to rival and is reflected in feedback such as ‘this has been the most fun I've ever had training ... the best training course I've ever been on.'
Guest Trainer: Laura Spicer
Laura Spicer's voice coaching sessions are simply inspirational!
It can be an enormous shock to discover the latent potential of your diaphragm, wind pipe and vocal chords - but not when you train with Laura because she combines proven physiological, phonetic and psychological techniques with lots and lots of fun!
"There isn't any one correct speaking voice" explains Laura "it's about using the one that gets specific results. The thing is - most people don't realise how their minds and bodies influence their speaking." And here the link between NLP and voice power becomes apparent.
Laura has two private clinics, one in the renowned Harley Street and one in Richmond, and from both, she transforms celebrities, business executives, media and regular folk alike using NLP, Performance Coaching and her highly prized Spicer Method and Voice Power techniques.
For many years now, Laura has closely assisted NLP's co-creator Dr. Richard Bandler, Society President John La Valle, Paul McKenna and Michael Breen on the international training stage. She is highly regarded.
One of Laura's many business interests is producing a range of vocal enhancement products for people who want to Powerfully Present; Stop Stammering; Conquer Interviews ... look her up:
www.spicer-ameldian.com
www.laura-spicer.com
www.justbewell.com
We welcome Laura adding power to the Northern voice!
Guest Trainer: Michele Paradise
Michele is a former supermodel currently on the books of the Storm model agency.
With an exotic background as muse of Zandra Rhodes, Thierrry Mugler and Philip Treacy, Michele now regularly appears on TV (Britain's Top Model and, currently, Britain's Next Missing Model) as a confidence coach. Michele also has a clinic in Harley Street.
"Of course, it sounds obvious that to be truly confident you have to have confidence both inside and out," she says, "but how many people only concentrate on their outer appearance? People come to me for coaching in movement and posture, but most of the time I find there is something else inside which needs attending to first."
Michele was first introduced to NLP by someone backstage at a fashion show who suggested she used NLP to help her stop smoking, "Shortly after, I started to feel so differently about things in many areas of my life that I had the most incredible epiphany; realising it was the thing I had been searching for all my life. I went on to train with Paul McKenna, Dr Richard Bandler, John LaValle and Michael Neill. Then I found my niche."
Michele's ‘niche', as she puts it, is in coaching others to find confidence through posture and movement. But of course, she goes much deeper than that by training business executives, professionals and many other individuals in motivation, effective communication and creating well-formed goals, helping them to equip themselves with the toolkit for life that NLP affords.
Michele's visit to Northumberland as guest trainer for the me group, was a recent feature spread in North East Exclusive magazine.
We recommend: www.micheleparadise.com
Guest Trainer: Dr Jo Waddell
Jo graduated from University of Birmingham Medical School in 1985 and has been a GP since 1989.
"In 2004 I first became interested in NLP when I saw that it offered tools for stress management and time management," something that this busy GP and mother felt she lacked. And at the time she had no idea just how much she'd go on to use it in both her personal and professional lives.
Jo went on to train with Dr Richard Bandler, Paul McKenna, John la Valle and Michael Neill and is now an NLP Trainer herself teaching introductory workshops to GP's and other NHS staff as well as running weight loss days and communication skills seminars.
"I use NLP techniques in almost every consultation with patients" says Jo, who also has a thriving private practice "I simply help individuals overcome their limitations whether they are phobias, anxieties, weight issues or smoking cessation". Jo's training style has been described as ‘lively and enthusiastic with a host of practical skills that people can start to use immediately either for themselves of with others.'
Guest Trainer / Assistant: Tony Wrighton
Tony is the UK's number one self-development author on iTunes, using his NLP skills to help tens of thousands of people to change.
He has been a TV and radio presenter for 12 years and is currently a presenter on Sky Sports. From the moment he started learning NLP, the skills came in handy. Two months after having qualified as a Practitioner, his radio show in Manchester had leapt from the fourth most listened-to show on the station, to the most listened-to show. He says, "all I did was practice my new language skills on air!".
Since becoming a trainer, Tony has started to work with other radio presenters on how to be more persuasive, and how to make the listeners feel better about the show they're listening to. He has also worked with sportsmen, musicians and business leaders, and says he loves, "making NLP simple so people can make changes really easily".
In his spare time he loves football, and anticipates that when he comes to the North-East to coach with the me group, he'll get plenty of stick for supporting QPR!
Assistant: Dr Louise Golightly
Louise is a consultant psychiatrist and NLP master practitioner, initially introduced to NLP by her (doctor) husband.
She went on to read a couple of books before attending an NLP Masterclass for doctors in 2005, after that, she went on to train with Dr Richard Bandler, John LaValle, Paul McKenna and Michael Neill. "I am a better communicator with much greater control over my emotional states and both of these things have immeasurably improved my personal relationships. I am more confident, I more easily achieve my goals and I'm generally much happier."
Louise also enjoys using her knowledge and understanding of NLP to help her son develop and be happy, well-behaved and self-assured. She uses NLP at work with to improve relationships with both colleagues and patients and like Jo, Louise delivers training for Acuity Doctor (doctors training doctors and other health professionals).
"I frequently use NLP techniques to directly help my patients, for example dealing with anxiety and setting goals to improve their own lives."
Assistant: David Cooke
When David left the board-room treads of a multinational corporation in search of work-life balance; NLP became a means to an end. "I initially used NLP to design the life that had previously eluded me."
David had previously built a highly successful 25-year career within the automotive manufacturing industry (Nissan, Ford), rising from engineer to senior executive, and now he's now lending his corporate experience to coaching business owners and senior managers using the business-building skills of NLP.
"Understanding ‘how' people are communicating rather than seeking just the ‘why' has radically altered my relationships in business," says David, "and it is absolutely key to business and personal success."
Now, David shares the winning formula of NLP with an eager audience of business owners and senior managers worldwide. Specialising in world-class manufacturing and production engineering, lean techniques, feasibility studies and project management, David is also a licensed NLP Master Practitioner, business consultant and interim executive.
Assistant: Sarah Humphrey
Sarah is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP Master Practitioner and Level 3 Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) practitioner who lives and works in the North East. "I'm passionate about what I do because what I do makes a difference" states Sarah, whose previous career as an Occupational Therapist (specialising in mental health), undoubtedly serves her clients well.
"I enjoy working with adults and children from all walks of life, cultures and backgrounds and have helped a growing number of people to quickly overcome their emotional, psychological and physical issues, be it a fear, phobia, health or performance issue."
Sarah is also mother to two young girls, "a wonderful role which inspired my training in 2007 as a HypnoBirthing® Practitioner and HypnoBirthing® FertilityTherapist" says Sarah "and I am inspired by the knowledge that the mind and body are intrinsically linked. Sarah combines her knowledge with compassion, skill and warmth to actualise fast and effective personal change.