About Dionne
I offer a unique proposition to the corporate market as a senior leader with over 15 years of people leadership and business experience. I hold a Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching (PCEC) with Henley Business School, and am an experienced Integrative Psychotherapist with First-Class Honours in Psychology & Counselling. I have over 10 years of psychotherapy experience working in the NHS, Corporate Settings, The Priory and now in Private Practice.
I utilise an Integrative Coaching Model (incorporating influential psychological theories such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution-Focused, Transactional Analysis, Motivational Interviewing, Schemas etc) to guide my approach to working with clients. I partner with them to evoke awareness, inspire new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving, employ more effective coping strategies, build interpersonal effectiveness, enhance performance, overcome challenges and unlock/maximise their potential so that they can realise their professional and personal goals.
As an Integrative Executive Coach, I combine Coaching Models such as GROW with Positive Psychology, which focuses on character strengths, positive emotions, happiness, subjective wellbeing, resilience, growth mindset, flow, meaning in life and building the good in life, and Traditional Psychology, where the emphasis is on moving clients who are struggling back up to ‘OK.’ My goal is to empower positive change and move client’s from being ‘just OK’ to ‘Great.’
I have a special interest in resilience, as it enables clients to handle workplace changes and challenges more effectively. I coach clients how to be more flexible and adaptable in the way they think and feel to sustain performance in the workplace, especially in difficult situations. My own research in this field has also led me to develop a new paradigm to help foster resilient leaders. The Integrative Leadership Resilience Model (ILDM), combines the principles of integrative coaching and psychotherapy, with resilience, so that leaders can drive positive change not only within themselves, but also their teams, and their organisations.
With an international client base, I work with senior professionals up to C-suite and board level, in addition to business owners and aspiring leaders. I combine my breadth of experience with a wide range of evidence-based techniques, and provide one comprehensive solution-focused framework to inspire clients to change positively. Whether empowering leaders to reach their full potential or nurturing and growing organisational talent, I partner with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process to raise self-awareness, and leverage an integrated model for coaching practice to make a real and lasting impact on client’s lives.
I am an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and member of The International Coaching Federation (ICF), The British Psychological Society (BPS) and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and adhere to their core values and operate under their strict ethical guidelines.
Our teenage daughter was experiencing severe allergic reactions whist in her classroom. After numerous hospital tests, no cause was identified and the situation continued. A friend introduced me to Dionne, who suggested that this reaction was likely to be a chronic stress response to academic pressure. It turned out that my daughter had unconsciously linked the smell of the cleaning products in her classroom with her feelings of anxiety about exams.
Dionne used Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to address my daughter's issues and I am glad to say there was a huge improvement.
A truly holistic approach
Perhaps what sets me apart from other more 'general therapists' is my experience in the field of neuropsychology, which provides a detailed understanding of the structure and function of the brain in relation to specific psychological processes. This enables a truly holistic approach to human behaviour, a complex phenomenon, as the mechanics of the brain can negatively impact our mental health and wellbeing. Find out more about how I work with adults.
Whatever the setting, and whatever the issue, I enjoy helping people at different stages of their lives to discover their innate ability to overcome life's challenges and thrive. The Positive Mind Psychotherapy & Counselling practice is committed to creating positive mental wellbeing so that clients can maximise their potential and feel truly great, not just OK.
Training & Qualifications
I hold a First-Class Honours Degree in Psychology and Counselling from the University of Greenwich and have subsequent CPD training on Suicidal Ideation, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Mental Capacity Act & Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Positive Behaviour Support, Restorative Justice, Mindfulness Practice, Resilience Development, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation and Neurodegenerative Conditions.
Accreditation and Memberships
Feeling Stuck?
Do you overthink?
I can help you move forward more positively.
Area of Special Interest:
Resilience
The importance of resilience
I'm fascinated by our capacity and need for resilience, a key concept of 'positive psychology'. Resilience is the ability to think, feel and behave in a flexible and adaptable manner and to sustain mental wellbeing in times of challenge.
Resilience is vital as it enables us to successfully navigate our way through events we perceive to be stressful and is considered the antidote to 'learned helplessness' - a condition in which people feel they have no control over what happens to them and overlook opportunities for change and personal growth. However, it is hard to obtain as it is not a single skill - it's a combination of skills and coping mechanisms. The good news is that being resilient is not a personality trait - it can be built at any age!
My own research in this field has also led me to work with adults in the corporate sector providing training, coaching and psychotherapy.
