meet the coach
PAULA COX
In case we’ve never met before, let me tell you a little bit about me.
My approach to working with individuals and groups is holistic, strengths-based and inclusive. I’m interested in the whole person: how you think, feel, work, process, relate, lead, rest and make sense of the world.
My academic background is in psychology, and my professional training is in coaching, leadership and people development. Alongside this, I continue to learn through my own lived experience, my client work, supervision, reflective practice and ongoing CPD in areas such as trauma, neurodiversity, equity and inclusion.
This means I bring together evidence-based practice, deep listening, practical tools and a genuinely human approach; helping people feel more understood, more resourced and more able to move forward in ways that fit.
MY APPROACH
I’ve spent much of my career in People Development, designing and delivering leadership, talent and development programmes for graduates, managers, senior leaders and executives across medium and large organisations.
After six years living and working in Brussels, Belgium, I began working independently in 2016 as a coach, facilitator and consultant.
Since then, I’ve spent hundreds of hours supporting thoughtful, often overwhelmed people to understand their strengths, struggles and talents; get clearer about what they need in order to be at their best; and create ways of living, working and leading that feel more aligned with who they are.
My work brings together coaching, psychology, leadership development, neurodiversity-informed practice and reflective enquiry. It is practical and human, evidence-informed and intuitive, structured enough to support change, and spacious enough to let something new emerge.
You can find out more about my qualifications and training here.
My specialist lens is neurodiversity, including ADHD, Autism, AuDHD and Dyslexia - diagnosed, suspected, or self-identified.
Clients often tell me I create a space that helps a scattered or overwhelmed mind feel calmer, clearer and more understood. One client once called me a “neurotypical whisperer” because I helped them translate their ADHD-autistic thinking to neurotypical colleagues and family, and then make sense of what came back.
People often come to me for practical support with getting started, time, organisation, planning, prioritising, motivation, habits, procrastination and executive functioning.
They often leave with something deeper too: a clearer understanding of their strengths, needs, values and beliefs, and a stronger sense of what they bring to the world.
I can help you with…
Understanding neurodivergence, including ADHD, autism, AuDHD and dyslexia - diagnosed, suspected or self-identified
Burnout, including autistic burnout: understanding it, recovering from it, and creating ways of working and living that are more sustainable
Overwhelm, procrastination, stuckness and executive-function challenges
Getting started, planning, prioritising, organising, motivation, habits and follow-through
Career transitions, work identity and “what next?”
Exploring the fit between you, your role, your team and the wider organisational culture
Understanding what you need in order to be at your best
Nervous system awareness, regulation and capacity
Perfectionism, people-pleasing and over-responsibility
Confidence, self-trust and gentle momentum
Rejection sensitivity, emotional intensity and high sensitivity
Strengths, values, beliefs, purpose and what you bring to the world
MORE ABOUT ME
Outside of work, I’m usually drawn to the things that help me come back to myself: coffee with good people, coastal walks, yoga, colour, painting, seasonal rituals, quiet reflection and conversations that go a little deeper than expected.
I’m endlessly curious about how we live well in real bodies and real lives; how we rest, create, relate, nourish ourselves, find steadiness, and remember what matters when the world feels noisy.
I’m not especially interested in perfection. I’m much more interested in presence, honesty, humour, small moments of beauty, and the kind of growth that lets us become more ourselves, not less.
Qualifications and Training
My work is informed by academic study, professional training, ongoing CPD, supervision and reflective practice. This includes:
MSc Occupational Psychology
BA(Hons) Psychology
Occupational Testing - Ability and Personality (RQTU)
Practitioner Diploma in NLP
Certificate in Neurodiversity (ILM)
Certificate in Health and Wellness Coaching
Certificate in Mindfulness in Coaching
Certificate in LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity
I have also previously held professional memberships and accreditations with the International Coaching Federation, the British Psychological Society and the Association for Business Psychologists, including ACC, GMBPsS and Certified Business Psychologist status.
I’m currently reviewing which memberships and accreditations best support the evolving direction of my work, so these are noted here as part of my professional background rather than listed as current active memberships.
