What do my clients say?
When I joined Catherine for her case study, I had made a start on a personal health & fitness journey earlier in the year, and had then thrown a new professional challenge into the mix where I left my job of 20 years and took on a completely new role. So timing wise it was perfect, and the health coaching has really helped me understand and focus on the benefits of making small changes and reorganising my time to fit my life. I have really enjoyed all of my sessions with Catherine, and they gave me the drive to succeed and a real sense of reward and reflection when we caught up each week. I think I needed a nudge in the right direction, and some assurance that I was on the right path and health coaching really did that. Setting goals each week allowed me to build on what had gone before, and celebrate successes along the way – and I am well on my way to being able to achieve my long term health and fitness goal, and super confident I will be able to do that.
I would very much recommend this programme to anyone, whether you are stuck in a rut, already making changes, or at a crossroads in your life – health coaching very much can help you navigate through any of the tricky times and bring some huge benefits to your life.
To anyone thinking of working with Catherine, I would say definitely go for it, and you won’t regret it at all – the value of having someone to talk too, who listens and then brings to the surface the thoughts and ideas you have on your own health is really beneficial. This is time really well spent, and the changes Catherine has helped me make are actionable, realistic and have given me the confidence to continue on that journey I started back in January. The whole life approach is not anything I’d really brought together myself before, but it makes so much sense and such a difference. If you are wondering whether it’s something you’d enjoy, I would absolutely recommend taking that leap and you’ll never look back.
Elsa - 4 weeks
I started the sessions feeling quite low and very tired, both physically and mentally, due to a number of factors including stressful working situation, poor sleep due to a long-standing sleep issue and having young children who still wake in the night and general worries of needing to get everything done at home, work and life in general.
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I started the sessions and each week came away with some very specific and clear goals that we discussed in detail to ensure that they would help me in one (or more) areas that I had chosen as areas to work on/improve on. I feel that I did very well overall with the goals that I set and I think this is partially due to being accountable for them in the next session. However, each time I had a good week with my goals it spurred me on to do more and kept me motivated. Catherine has been a very calming influence and has helped me think of the wider issues at play and to narrow down these issues to set clear and specific goals. Having achieved a lot over the 4 weeks I am now feeling much happier and confident to carry on working towards my goals, which in turn will help me feel happier, which will also impact my relationships with my family, friends and work colleagues for the better.
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I would recommend this course to others as it helps to consider the wider picture in order to narrow down the finer details of what it is you want to achieve and the steps to work towards this. I feel I learnt a lot during the sessions about myself after reflecting on the discussions we had and made a number of links in different areas of my life to help improve. For anyone thinking about undertaking these sessions, I would recommend going into them with an open mind with no pre-conceived ideas of what it will entail and to be completely honest and open in the sessions to gain the most from it. Catherine was very friendly, calm and reassuring with no judgement on anything that was discussed. Catherine was also happy to be contacted between sessions if needed and to help with accountability i.e. if I wanted to send my daily plan to her each day etc. Overall, I have definitely benefitted from the sessions and will consider doing more to cover other issues that we did not have time to cover in the sessions that I had.
AA - 4 weeks
Before I began my sessions with Catherine, overall, I felt my general health was good. However, I had noticed that over the past 2 years or so I had put weight on, without necessarily changing my diet or exercise. I lacked energy and often felt tired. I was also more bloated and constipated more frequently than I ever used to be. I didn’t really know why my body seemed to change and so put it down to age and that it was inevitable.
I began the journey with Catherine out of curiosity but had no real expectations. Meeting Catherine was helpful in that it provided accountability (I don’t like to let people down) but also gave me the gentle push into reflecting on my eating, exercise and lifestyle habits that I would have never made time or given much importance to before.
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I feel genuinely surprised and thrilled that after the sessions, I have a much better understanding and also control of food. My brain has been rewired! I now understand the associations I had with food, the habits I had formed and also impact these were having, not only on my weight but on my general health. I have actually stopped wanting the white carbs that I didn’t realise I craved every day. Lots of people have asked me if I’m going to stop now I’ve done the course. “Are you going to eat lots of cake and bread now?” I can honestly say no. I don’t miss them. There will be times when there’s a celebration where I will have a treat, but many new habits formed are here to stay and I feel really good about that. I’ve lost half a stone in 6 weeks and it hasn’t felt like a battle! This is the first time a ‘diet’ has actually made sense to me. I have never tried one before as I’ve never really understood them and found them over complicated but also confusing. This is so clear and makes sense, it easily becomes part of your way of thinking about food and the effect it has on not only your weight but how you feel.
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I would really recommend Catherine and this course to anyone who wanted a simple, scientific approach to improving your health and losing weight. Catherine is incredibly supportive, knowledgeable (and what she doesn’t know she’ll find out for you!) and her coaching skills help draw out what’s right for you.
Abi - 6 weeks
I started working with Catherine because I had extreme fatigue. Every action felt like a huge effort and it prevented me from both working efficiently and enjoying my free time. I found myself spending large amounts of time on the sofa, not through choice, but because I had no energy to do anything else. In turn, this led to feeling depressed and a sense of hopelessness. I’m just entering my 60s and am aware that this should be a golden era, with more time to do as I wish and less work (a welcome development after working since I was 16). But I had no energy to follow my passions of fishing, scuba diving, walking, etc.
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As with many of these things, the answer lies with the individual. Catherine expertly guides you to solutions that you hadn’t realised lie within. That’s not to say she is without knowledge! Her expertise on sleep patterns, nutrition, the value of meditation and the like are vital in the journey. I now feel like my situation is much more under my control. I suffer from poor self-discipline but the improvement in my energy levels achieved with Catherine’s help have left me more optimistic and able to fight obtain my goal of improved health. Catherine has massively helped me look for root causes for this situation and develop a plan to address them. Most of it is simple achievable aims around diet, exercise, addressing bad habits, and avoiding those things that do me harm. I now feel like the solution is in my hands. I still struggle and know this is a long journey but I have successfully started it and know where the pitfalls are and how to avoid them. The spiral of despair I now realise I was previously in has been reversed with Catherine’s help.
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I highly recommend Catherine to anyone suffering from similar problems. She strikes a great balance between being a good listener (a very undervalued skill) and offering information and guidance.
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Someone seeking help would have to prepare to be honest and open, and ready to admit that there might be things they are doing – but had not realised – that are part of the problem. It’s not always easy to admit (to yourself) your faults but it can be enormously helpful.
Piers - 8 weeks
When I volunteered to be a case study for Catherine Smith, to help her qualify as a Health Coach, I was very interested and slightly apprehensive – it was a new concept for me and I wasn’t sure what to expect!
Before we started working together – I felt low in energy, poor motivation, overweight and generally, a bit low – lethargic. This caused me to feel a bit despondent and lacking self esteem. BUT, after completing the 4 weekly sessions – I feel more energised and motivated. I feel ‘lighter’ – I have lost 3 kg in weight (however, my weight does not seem that it is important to me now!). My mental health has also improved, no more ‘brain fog’ and I feel I can complete most tasks with ‘a spring in my step’. My motivation has improved dramatically and I feel much stronger in my outlook. My friends have noticed a difference.
Overall, a very positive experience – I would strongly recommend this programme to others – an invaluable experience. I enjoyed the weekly sessions – Catherine was very informative and showed good subject knowledge and understanding. She was very good explaining different ideas and was a good motivator! The pace and delivery of the sessions was excellent.
Madeleine - 4 weeks
Catherine is an amazing health coach. I have gained many health benefits and much more! Since I have had sessions with Catherine I have gained lots of knowledge on how to keep healthy and what to eat and also what foods are good for me. After my first session I went away and did as we both planned, my walks, eat healthy and not forgetting my water intake. All these changes made a huge difference to me and my mood. It made me feel more energetic and less stressed. We found lots of different strategies during my sessions to make big changes to my life so that I could have a happier and fun life with my children. Catherine helped and shared with me lots of foods/snacks that are healthy and enjoyable too. She is a very good listener and works in a way to make you feel comfortable and happy. By having these sessions I am now eating healthy, drinking a lot more and doing more exercise and all this keeps my sugar level balanced. I have also changed my children’s eating habits and we have a much more healthier and a happy house! My sleep has improved and I am able to plan and do things without stressing. My children have also noticed a tremendous amount of change in me and that makes it all worth it. We have lots more fun and this is all thanks to Catherine!
Nosheen - 6 weeks