239: The Lived Experience Coaches Transforming Support Services for People with Learning Disabilities and Autism
Release Date: 04/21/2025
259: A Day in the Life of Conny Weyrich: Arts-Based and Trauma-Informed Coaching in Practice
The AC Podcast
Welcome back to another episode of our Day in the Life podcast series, where we meet real coaches living real lives. In this inspiring conversation, host Maxine Bell sits down with Conny Weyrich, an arts-based and trauma-informed coach from Melbourne, Australia. Conny shares her remarkable mid-life journey from a corporate career in marketing and consultancy to art therapy, and ultimately into the world of coaching. Her story offers valuable insights for coaches and supervisors who are curious about weaving creativity, compassion, and trauma-awareness into their practice. In this...
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258: Navigating the Complexities of Identity, Power, and Inclusion in Coaching Supervision
The AC Podcast
Can we truly make coaching spaces inclusive? This powerful closing episode of our Coaching Supervision Uncovered series invites you into a dynamic panel conversation on the role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in coaching supervision. Host Helen O’Grady is joined by master coaches Shruti Sonthalia, Dumi Magadlela and Claire Pedrick as they unpack how supervision can become a sacred space for reflection, authenticity, and growth. Together, they explore how supervisors can model courage, examine safety, shame and co-design spaces where vulnerability becomes a strength...
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257: Power Dynamics in Coaching Supervision: Naming, Navigating and Sharing It
The AC Podcast
How does power truly manifest in coaching supervision? In this episode, host Helen O’Grady sits down with executive coach and supervisor, Shruti Sonthalia to unpack the often overlooked but critical dimension of power in supervision. Together, they explore how power is an inherent element of all human relationships and why acknowledging its presence is essential for supervisors, coaches, and leaders. From "power over" and "power under" to cultivating shared power, this episode dives deep into the ways identity, privilege, and cultural context influence supervision relationships. ...
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256: The Craft, The Being, The Art: How Supervision Can Genuinely Foster Coach Development
The AC Podcast
What if coach supervision wasn’t just about reflecting—but about completely rethinking how you grow? In this episode, host Helen O’Grady speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Crosse about how coach supervision can foster real coach development – a dynamic, critically reflexive practice that meets coaches exactly where they are. Drawing on her research, Elizabeth introduces a practical typology for growth through three distinct lenses: the craft of coaching, self-work (the internal work) and the art of coaching (the external learning that comes through coaching). Together, they explore the...
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255: The Best Strategies for Developing Reflective Habits in Coaching Supervision
The AC Podcast
In this episode, host, Helen O’Grady is joined by Michelle Lucas, an accredited Master Executive Coach and Supervisor, who explores the vital role of reflective practice in coaching supervision. She clarifies the definition of reflection and reflexivity in coaching; it’s iterative nature and application in various contexts. Michelle discusses the three methods of reflection: self-supervision, peer supervision and professional supervision and the challenges coaches face in engaging reflective practice. She explains how to recognise individual reflective practices and addresses the...
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254: Essential Skills for Supporting Mental Health in Coaching Supervision
The AC Podcast
In this insightful episode, host Helen O’Grady and guest Jo Birch, an award-winning supervisor and executive coach, explore the complexities of mental health in coaching and supervision. They discuss the importance of clear contracts, boundaries, and competence when addressing mental health issues, the challenges of confidentiality, and the need for self-awareness and reflection on personal beliefs about mental health. The conversation highlights the value of supervision as a safe and reflective space, the misunderstandings around mental health, and the necessity for coaches and supervisors...
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253: Dancing with Uncertainty: Developmental Artistry in Coaching and Supervision
The AC Podcast
In this fascinating episode, host Helen O’Grady is joined by executive coach and coach supervisor Neel Arya to talk about developmental artistry - a creative, embodied approach to coaching and supervision and its relevance in times of significant change. Neel explains how this philosophy, co-developed with Carissa Bub, encourages practitioners to embrace uncertainty, experimentation, and the exploration of liminal spaces – the ‘messy middle’ of growth - and their significance in the developmental process. Neel explains cultural dimensions and individual personality's influence on the...
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252: Coaching Supervision Through a Neurodivergent Lens
The AC Podcast
In this episode, host, Helen O’Grady interviews ADHD coach and trainer Katie Friedman about coaching supervision through a neurodivergent lens. Katie explains the concepts of neurodiversity and neurodivergence, addresses common misconceptions, and highlights the importance of psychological safety and inclusivity in coaching. The conversation explores the challenges neurodivergent individuals face in identity integration, the need for humility and awareness of positionality, and the value of specialized training. Katie also discusses the evolving landscape of ADHD coaching and her belief...
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251: The Essential Role of Vulnerability and Humanness in Coaching Supervision
The AC Podcast
In this episode Claire Pedrick, master coach and co-author of ‘The Human Behind the Coach,’ joins host, Helen O’Grady to explore the vital role of humanness in coaching supervision. They discuss the importance of authenticity, vulnerability, and why the supervisee, rather than supervisor, decides if a space is safe or not. Claire shares personal insights on power dynamics, the value of self-reflection, and the ethics of supervisors bringing their humanity to their sessions. The conversation highlights the evolving nature of supervision, the need for continuous growth, and the courage...
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250: Exploring Coaching Readiness Through Supervision
The AC Podcast
In this episode, we take a deep dive into coaching readiness and coachability, as host Helen O’Grady is joined by Clare Norman, Master Certified Coach and author of two key coaching books. When coaches come to supervision doubting themselves, because their client is not engaged, Clare encourages supervisors to go beyond asking what the contract says, asking a second question, ‘Was the client and their organization coaching ready?’ With this question in mind, Clare explores the difference between ‘coaching readiness’ and ‘coachability’. She emphasizes the crucial role of...
info_outlineIn this special episode, our host Julie Flower, dives into an inspiring conversation with guests Lindsay Henderson and Shaun Armour from Your Voice Counts, a charity based in Northeast England. Discover how they are challenging perspectives with a groundbreaking scheme that trains people with learning disabilities and autism to coach the professionals responsible for their support. Shaun, one of the coaches and Lindsay, Head of Communities, share how co-production and lived experience aren’t just buzzwords – they are essential tools for transforming support systems, empowering individuals and creating meaningful change.
Learn how this innovative model developed, the training process and the shift in power dynamics in during the coaching relationships. Lindsay and Shaun offer honest reflections on what it takes to make this approach work, why accessibility and representation matter and how the scheme is making a tangible difference for both coaches and professionals. They also share their hopes for the future, including plans to expand the model and embed it into services across more regions. If you're looking to make your coaching practice more inclusive, authentic, and impactful, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!
You will learn:
· How lived experience can reshape professional coaching and improve services for people with learning disabilities and autism.
· The importance of co-production and accessible training in building inclusive coaching programs.
· The challenges and triumphs of implementing a lived experiences coaching model within professional settings.
“Having a coach opposite them with a learning disability or autism, and they're communicating with them in an equal power relationship, was just my favourite bit of the whole thing, because it started to challenge people's perceptions about people, about people's opportunities and about what people can achieve.”
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