Clarity of direction, Creating a better work/ life balance, Life coaching, Making big decisions on career, family or work, Matrescence coaching
Karen Hedges
Supporting working mothers navigating maternity leave or parenting young children. A qualified career coach, HR professional and a single parent who wants to help you to do more than survive.
Location: London
Year Qualified: 2021
Areas of Expertise
Testimonials
My coaching sessions have enabled me to bring focus to a multi-faceted problem and helped me to be aware of the assumptions I am bringing to a situation. I think Karen has helped me to pick up on key drivers in a situation that I often ignore because they are triggering. Her ability to spot them and bring focus to them have always been the killer moments in my sessions when I feel I have unearthed a new learning or perspective on a situation.
Zohra, Marketing Professional
I learned a great deal about my relationship to fear and facing into it and realising that I need to let go and trust in order to fulfil my potential. I also realised how important fun and playing is in life.
TH, Financial Services
I really appreciated having the space to develop thoughts out loud, and not have to worry about whether what I was saying was coherent! It was good to be asked questions about the things I was saying and be given the opportunity to reflect. Karen leaves enough space for me to be able to process things and formulate thoughts. I came away from the last session with some practical actions and things to do which was really helpful.
Natasha, Research Involvement Manager
Areas of Expertise
Clarity of direction, Creating a better work/ life balance, Life coaching, Making big decisions on career, family or work, Matrescence coachingLeave a testimonial
Coaching Qualifications
- Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching
Professional Background
My career to date has been in Human Resources and after a short stint in the Hospitality sector I then worked in Financial Services for 15 years culminating in senior HR Business Partner roles. In my corporate roles I have supported many women during their return to work and as they navigate flexible working.
I had some coaching early on in my career and was amazed by the clarity it gave me and it provided me with tools that I still use today to help me in situations where I don’t feel confident. Throughout my career in HR I have seen how coaching has benefited the employees I supported and I wanted to help others in the same way.
I now work as a coach and HR Consultant.
What drew you to coaching?
There is a lot of support for new mothers in relation to pregnancy and the early months of a child’s life but, after the birth of my daughter, I was shocked by how little support there is for women as they navigate returning to work either after a year of maternity leave or after a longer career break.
I understand the challenges working mothers face and how hard it can be to admit to feeling overwhelmed or like you are not reaching your full potential. I also know that it’s incredibly hard to change the systems we work in but I believe we can make changes to how we operate within them.
Just as every baby is different, every mother is different and through 1:1 coaching I enjoy helping women to identify what they need to help them function within the world of paid work, and, most importantly, to know how to ask for what they need. In my coaching sessions I aim to help my clients understand that what their priorities are now as a working parent and be guided by what they want to do rather than what they think they should do.
As a single parent I also understand the added layer of complexity that comes with co-parenting or being entirely responsible for a child. I really value being able to create a space for single parents to allow them to share the thoughts and decisions that they often have to navigate alone.
Fee Structure
Power hour – £90
A one off session to support you with a single issue.
Work, parenting and you package – £500
For self-funding individuals who are looking for support returning to work after maternity leave or are looking to make a change to their work/career balance I offer 4 sessions over 3 months.
Maternity coaching package – £650
A maternity coaching package that supports you during the whole maternity journey from preparing to start your maternity leave through to your return to work. There are 4 sessions (with email support in between sessions) which focus on the different stages of your maternity leave:
- Planning for success
- Recognising your new identity and priorities as a parent
- Returning to work
- Thriving in your new reality
I am qualified to administer and interpret Hogan Personality Assessments which are a psychometric tool that helps us to understand, in the context of the working environment, what we enjoy, how pressure can influence our behaviour and what motivates us. This tool can be used in addition to any coaching sessions and is charged at cost price plus VAT.
If you an employer looking for coaching support for your employees, please get in touch to discuss your requirements and I can design a bespoke package.
