LIFELONG LEARNING

Learning is a lifelong process. From the moment we are born we are constantly developing and learning new skills. If we have positive associations with learning it's an enjoyable experience. Many people, however, associate learning (or certain aspects of learning such as exams, tests or speaking in front of groups) with stress and struggle. They may feel 'blocked' or unable to achieve their goals and negative experiences may reinforce this pattern. Even people who are successful in one part of their life may feel limited in other areas.

Learning should be about opening our minds and enriching our lives but for many people experiences of learning, especially in formal educational institutions, can be disempowering and can seem to create barriers to our success and development.

There is always something new that we want to learn, whether we are learning at school or at home. Some skills are really useful for school and work such as presentation skills and interview skills. Other skills such as driving, languages, hobbies and sports are important for our personal life. So it's worth investing in becoming a confident, successful learner so you can apply this to any area that interests you.

Students

As a university teacher and examiner I have often witnessed the debilitating effects of stress and anxiety on student performance. Students who are usually competent and articulate can become stressed and fearful, underachieving and consequently feeling upset or angry. This can lead to loss of motivation and lack of confidence. One bad experience can lead to another as students find themselves remembering past failures and unhelpful patterns of thinking may develop which perpetuate the cycle.

Teachers and academics

It's not just students who may feel stressed in educational settings. HSE research identifies education as one of the most stressful areas of occupation. Teachers and academics have a heavy workload and ever increasing demands to fulfil. They are expected to encourage and inspire students but are often given little support.

Professionals

In our professional lives learning can be especially stressful as the stakes can be high. From making a good impression at the first interview to passing entrance tests and succeeding in professional exams which secure promotion, confident learning and communication skills are a prerequisite. It's also important to be able to motivate yourself to move towards your goals.

Learning and careers solutions

There are many courses and workshops which focus on learning and stress management but they often spend much time discussing theories and background and then encourage participants to 'try to relax' without giving them adequate techniques to do so. Just talking about it is not enough. In fact talking about it too much may reinforce the problem. You don't need to know all the reasons why you have difficulties or why you became anxious or stressed. You need a practical toolkit of exercises and techniques to help you make changes and move forward in your life.

In addition to being a teacher and examiner, I am a qualified and registered Master Practitioner in NLP and a hypnotherapist. I trained with the best in the field, Richard Bandler (co-creator of NLP) and Paul McKenna (the world famous hypnotherapist).

I specialise in stress management, building confidence and self-esteem, enhancing exam and test performance and presentations and interview preparation. My background in both education (teaching English for Academic Purposes, including Academic writing, presentation skills and study skills at Manchester University and other institutions in Europe, The Far East and Middle East) and complementary medicine and hypnotherapy has given me the opportunity to help many people develop their potential.

My aim has always been to empower people to break through limitations and move forward in their life. I work together with other highly skilled and qualified professionals who share these aims. We believe that education is about opening doors, not creating barriers.

We offer individual sessions to facilitate easy, effective learning and group workshops to build confidence, motivate and inspire. Our workshops will empower you to make changes in your life by breaking through limitations, enjoying learning, managing stress, communicating confidently and motivating yourself to reach your goals.

Popular workshops:

• Confident Presentation skills
• Exam success
• Interview success
• Successful Communication skills

If you want to break through barriers, increase your confidence and accelerate your learning, whether for school, university, work or pleasure, just contact us.