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Resourceful State

Life Enhancing Tools & Techniques for Personal & Professional Growth

  • Resourceful States
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Executive & Performance Coaching

vanciesimage As a psychologist,  as an entrepreneur, consultant and business owner, who has also spent time in the corporate environment heading large teams, Christine clearly sees the challenges facing business owners, executives and leaders in positions of great responsibility, and the pressures they experience in these disruptive and unceratin times. Her strategic thinking capabilities, creativity, compassion and vision lend powerful insights to the coaching and mentoring experience she offers.

Her extensive training in psychological wellbeing and therapeutic coaching enable Christine to attend to mental health challenges where need may arise, and the role requires. This is a a rare attribute and opportunity which fosters consistency and continuity in the client experience.

Christine believes in the vital importance of effective communication, openness, authenticity, and in identifying values, meaning and purpose in life. This enables her clients to gain clarity, build better relationships, have greater engagement, and live in richer more fulfilled ways so that they can express their potential, love what they do,  and enjoy the successful and well-rounded lives they desire.

Contact Christine to explore how she can support you towards greater wellbeing and fulfillment.

Coaching for Authors and Writers

As a consultant, coach and publisher, and an author, poet and editor of renowned ReSource Magazine, Christine Miller has a wealth of practical experience both as a writer herself, and in guiding other business people, students, bloggers and writers to make their work the best it can be.

She has worked with top authors ranging from Deepak Chopra to Malcolm Gladwell and Tony Buzan, and with new writers who she has assisted in being published for the first time. Christine loves and knows writing inside out, from business articles and reports, to poetry to esoteric texts, and most things in between, and with a first degree in linguistics, she is no slouch on the technicalities of language use. She has successfully used reflective writing techniques for major research projects and for self-development, achieving distinction and First Class Honours in her work.

She has judged poetry competitions and been resident poet for a TV channel, writing 100 poems in two days to support a Love Letter event for Valentine’s Day. Christine has been described as magical, graceful, inspiring, ‘a poet of her times’, and has delighted those she works with through her subtle ability to edit their words whilst retaining their unique style and meaning.

Christine offers:

  • Support with proposal preparation, submission and book writing
  • One to one coaching by phone
  • Half & Full day workshops
  • Mastermind support group coaching
  • Publicity and media symposium London
  • Full package with media/interview coaching

Writing Workshop – please see HERE. 

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Resourceful Little Treasures

Resourceful Little Treasures

Christine Miller

LittlegirlsIn recent years there has been an upsurge of interest and concern in relation to children’s emotional and mental health. Media stories about bullying in schools, excluded children, disaffected youths creating mayhem in their communities, concerns about child pornography and the safety of the internet – all have been presented in the nation’s living rooms, and whether we judge the publicity good or bad, it is now important to recognise that the well being of our children is of widespread interest and concern.

Some years ago, a government report, “Promoting Children’s Mental Health within Early Years and School Settings” (DfES[i]: 2001) stated that “the mental health of children is everyone’s business”, and that adult society as a whole needed to recognise the importance of children’s mental health and emotional literacy.

    • Self-esteem
    • Sense of identity
    • Strong family relationships
    • Good communications with teachers and peer groups

The above are widely acknowledged as key elements in children who are resilient, and the risk factors for mental ill-health increase with every element missing from the list of desirable conditions.

In my role as a coach and mentor I work with a lot of young people, many of whom come along already labelled with behavioural, learning and/or emotional difficulties. That means I’m quite accustomed to witnessing sulky, aggressive and unhappy children, and it can take a fair amount of time, compassion and humour to unwind and relax and begin to make progress together.

 Too Close to Home?

So when my own teenage son informed me with some passion a while ago that I “have no idea how hard it is to be a child growing up these days” it took me by surprise and prompted me to reflect carefully on my family, my work and my self.

He’s usually thought of as the wise one in his group, he appears to cope with whatever life presents to him, and he does fine at school. Yet even he is saying that coping is hard. And it’s in such moments that we can, as parents, gain great insights into just what the challenges of adolescence are these days that might make it harder than it was for us.

However, it’s tricky, because any questioning or request for explanation can lead to stonewalling silence – and so how can we mine for those precious nuggets that help us respond appropriately and with love to our little treasures and not dam up the flow before it’s even started? Because if it’s hard work being a child these days, it’s probably even harder being a parent who cares, who wants to be supportive yet finds that they are sidelined and that attempts at dialogue are blocked.

 Other People’s Little Treasures

You’d think with my experience and skills with other people’s children, it would be a breeze. Aah yes. But dealing with your own kids isn’t the same as being the outside help. After all, you can’t send them home after an hour or so – they are at home. You don’t have the benefit of an outside perspective. You’re on a tightrope over what can feel like a precarious drop into dangerous waters. Well, that was what I thought until I began to reflect on the limitations I was imposing by holding those beliefs.

I wondered: if I could change my beliefs about it being hard to work with my son, could he shift his beliefs that it’s hard to be an adolescent growing up today?

And this is what happened.

 Stepping Back and Stepping Out

I worked out a way of inviting my son to use a simple strategy of stepping back and stepping out.

I explained to him that I had been experiencing a paradox of finding it hard to be a parent. Feeling uncomfortable offering to help him because he’s my son, and even more uncomfortable not helping him – also because he’s my son, and especially as I have such a wide range of skills that could benefit him. So I went back in time to occasions when it would have seemed impossible and neglectful not to pass on skills and knowledge to him.

 Like, what if I’d never talked to him so he could learn from me?
Or taught him to feed and dress himself?
Or helped him to read?
Or helped him to learn to ride his bike?

How weird would that have been?

And in the future, when he learns to drive … (Oh, Yes! This Year! as he gleefully reminded me) he’ll accept that know-how from his dad and me.

 Crazy Imaginings

We ended up laughing at the craziest imaginary scenarios of me being reluctant to be a parent and guide to him because I knew more than he did.  This opened up a really useful dialogue for us, about eking out degrees of responsibility as children approach adulthood, yet still being there. And on we went to his scenarios…

 Growing Up and Expanding Your World

He stepped back and found times when it had been enormous fun to be growing up and developing, learning and exploring his expanding world, and he rediscovered a sense of joy. He noticed that there was usually someone else involved with passing on skills and knowledge, but that when he was competent he went off and did his own thing. He discovered that he had lots of resources from the past which he could bring forward into the present, and would transfer to the future.

And he recognised that accepting help and support were a way of getting stronger and growing more resourceful – real, lasting treasures to carry forward to a life where it may just be a little easier to be growing up, in that limbo where you’re neither child nor adult.

Keeping Mum

And as for me, I’ve found a more comfortable and fulfilling place in his world where we have greater understanding, and I can support him by balancing the roles of adult and parent – still keeping mum, but now able to speak up as well!!

Are there times when have you felt yourself on a tightrope in a relationship,  wanting to speak up and intervene, yet knowing you need to tread with care? We’d be fascinated to find out.

© Christine Miller 


[i] Department for Education & Skills (2001, June) Promoting Children’s Mental health in Early Years & School Settings

Five Tips for Living in Peace with Your Teens

rockabillyboyFive Tips for Living in Peace with Your Teens

  1. Listen – very carefully. Difficult and scary as it may be, try to give your teens a place where they can express their thoughts and needs. Their world is different; be eager to understand and be curious about it and don’t condemn, judge or assume. If you want to make a comment, use their own words back to them – e.g. ‘So let me check I’m understanding you, what you’re saying is….’ (that’s why it’s listen very carefully…) They won’t argue with their own stuff…well, not too often anyway.
  2. Set firm but realistic boundaries – it’s better for everyone. It shows you care. Rules can be good news – it gives your teens a valuable let-out when peer pressure is being applied. If they can assert with total confidence that something’s not allowed, it bolsters their strength to resist temptations to reckless behaviour.
  3. Give them space, respect, responsibility, and the benefit of the doubt. Then shut up. Really. Knowing when to bite your tongue is a key part of this. Once you’ve negotiated what’s acceptable, don’t be peering over their shoulders or prying. Trust their judgement. It’s like paying out a rope or casting a fishing line – do it bit by bit, and you can always renegotiate and reel in a little if your teen seems to demonstrate there’s too much slack.
  4. Accept there may be mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. If your mum (or dad) had known all you got up to as a teenager…would she/he have approved? Hmmm, thought not….So don’t blame, don’t make comparisons with friends or siblings, be supportive, let your teen know their unique value and that you do and always will love them. Even if it’s tough love – and especially if their behaviour is currently causing you concern or creating waves in the family. Make it a learning experience for both of you – try to see the gift in whatever’s happened, painful as it may seem in the moment.
  5. Know your place. Teens can tend to think they’ve discovered everything for the first time ever – and that as an adult and their parent you really know – nothing. Get over it. Give it a few years. Keep a wry smile handy in your repertoire. Remember the old quote from one of the Greek Philosophers:

When I was 18 my father was completely ignorant, but by the time I was 25, it was amazing how much he’d learnt …

Too true!

 BONUS TIP:

  1. Laugh. Find some common ground in humour, satire, irony – maybe through a TV programme or film. It may make you throw your hands up in horror, but ‘The Simpsons’ has some prize moments of sheer comic dis-functionality in which most of us can see a little something of ourselves, if we’re really honest.

But dads (and mums) be warned – telling bad ‘dad jokes’ (and it seems that all dad jokes are bad jokes, even if they’re good…..) creates embarrassed looks, groans of ‘Ohhh Daaad’, rolling eyes and shrugged shoulders – you have to decide if you want to experience that. On the other hand, if you don’t do generic ‘dad jokes’, maybe your teen will miss out on being able to share horror stories with their mates…..And sharing the experience is part of growing up. As parents, that’s what we’re there for – silent witness, loud supporter, soft shoulder or sharp wit – you’ll need all of that and more along the way. Is it worth it – completely – it’s one of life’s richest treasures.

Christine Miller

Coaching Children “The Economist” Case Study

With an epidemic of depression afflicting children from all backgrounds, can coaching or mentoring do anything to alleviate some of the pressures they face?

From an interview with Christine Miller by Jane Renton for The Economist Guide to Coaching & Mentoring

deepinthoughtChristine Miller, a management consultant and business coach and mentor, decided to focus her skills on helping children after being profoundly affected by the suicide of her daughter’s 17-year-old school friend.

The girl, who was privately educated and from a loving middle-class home, had been anxious about her schoolwork, about her appearance and about whether she was popular with her peers – normal teenage concerns that had somehow spiralled out of control.

“It had such a profound effect on the [girl’s] family, the school and the local community,” she recalls. It was also a personal clarion call to Ms Miller, who lives in London and who had used coaching techniques in the upbringing of her own children, to re-focus some of her work towards helping troubled youngsters. It was a considered personal decision since it indirectly re-connected her to an earlier career as a school teacher, which she believed had ended in personal failure.

She had taught at a girls’ grammar school, where her largely middle class charges were both intelligent and motivated and where she had thrived. It was only when she accepted a more challenging post teaching French to deprived 15-year-old girls in an inner city London school that things began to change for the worse. “These girls were one step away, in many cases, from being excluded by the authorities. It was my job to teach them French and while I tried very hard to make it as exciting a subject for them as I could, they were contemptuous. They just couldn’t see the relevancy of it to their own lives. Their expectations were so low.”

She left feeling that she had failed her pupils, but decided to put her depressing experience behind her. She embarked upon a successful career in research and consultancy where she worked with a number of major companies in senior positions, including Fiat Motors, before eventually becoming involved in training large groups of people. “I found that supporting people to be at their best was my forte, and also what I really love doing,” she says.

The traumatic death of her daughter’s young friend prompted her to confront her old nemesis – the job of working with troubled teenagers – but this time armed with her Masters degree in Psychology, her coach training expertise, and her grounding in hypnotherapy, cognitive therapy and transpersonal psychology.

There has been no shortage of work. There are almost 1.4 million children in England alone who are described as having ‘special needs’, and estimates from epidemiological studies have indicated that anywhere between 15 and 25 per cent of all children could be identified as having a moderate to severe emotional or behavioural difficulty.

It’s all part of a world-wide phenomenon explains Martin Seligman, professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the principal architects of  the Positive Psychology movement. Depression used to be a relatively rare phenomenon until the 1960s,   and then usually experienced by middle-aged women. But in the past 30 years it has become much more prevalent, affecting much younger people.

“Now after only thirty years, depression has become the common cold of mental illness and it takes its first victims in junior high school – if not before,” he writes in his book The Optimistic Child, Houghton Mifflin, 2007.

Professor Seligman cites several large scale epidemiological studies carried out in the United States over a period of time. The first of these, known as the ECA study, published in 1993 and involving 18, 571 people, surprised statisticians. Those born around 1925, who had lived a long time and therefore had plenty of time to develop the disorder, generally showed little sign of depression and only four per cent had actually experienced severe depression by the time they reached middle age. Of those born before World War One, only one per cent had suffered from depression by the time they reached old age. But then things began to change, when the “feel good, self-esteem era got underway with seven per cent of those born around 1955 suffering from severe depression by the time they reached their early twenties.

A second US study cited by Professor Seligman looked at 2,289 close relatives of 523 people who had been in hospital with severe depression and again the findings were, he says, “astonishing”. They reveal a dramatic increase in rates of depression over the course of the twentieth century. More than 60 per cent of women born in the early 1950s had allegedly been severely depressed, compared with only three per cent of women born around 1910 and who were raised during a time when the dunce’s cap was the norm. A similar pattern also emerged for males.

While Professor Seligman concedes that some of apparent explosion in depression might have been dismissed by our grandmothers’ generation as “just life”, it still does not explain the increased numbers of individuals who have: cried every day for a fortnight; lost rapid weight over a short period of time without dieting; or tried killing themselves. Disturbingly, it is a trend that shows little sign of abating. A study of 3,000 twelve to fourteen year olds in the southeastern United States suggested that a staggering nine per cent suffered from a full-blown depressive disorder.

So what or whom is to blame for this disturbing new phenomenon? Professor Seligman points the finger squarely at baby boomer parents, whose self-preoccupation has changed society from one of achievement to a feel-good society. The right to self-esteem has even become enshrined in Californian law. Poor self-esteem is supposedly behind academic failure, drug use, teenage pregnancy and welfare dependency and yet all those ills are on the rise. It is nonsense, says Professor Seligman, to tell a child they have done well, when they haven’t.

You are in effect lying as well as creating dangerously false expectations, which when they’re inevitably not met, will lead to disillusionment and depression. It is setting a child up for disillusionment and possibly depression, says the professor, who urges parents instead to teach their children resilience and optimism to handle life’s arrows.

“The goal [of achievement] was then overtaken by the twin goals of happiness and high self-esteem. This fundamental change consists of two trends. One is toward the more individual satisfaction and more individual freedom: consumerism, recreational drugs, daycare, psychotherapy, sexual satisfaction, grade inflation. The other is the slide away from individual investment in endeavours larger than the self: God, Nation, Family, Duty. Some of the manifestations reflect what is most valuable about our culture, but others may be at the heart of the epidemic of depression.”

The negative aspects of that culture change has created extensive damage particularly to  children, something that Gail Manza, executive director of the National Mentoring Partnership (NMP) in America,  is acutely conscious of. Much of her organisation’s work is centred on socially-deprived children from chaotic backgrounds, where it is not uncommon for one or more parent to have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, or to be in prison. Yet what these socially deprived young people need, she says, is not mollycoddling or even necessarily cash handouts, but the means of getting access to the right resources to enable them to get some degree of control over their lives, she says.

Ean Garrett, who is now at law school, and a mentor himself, is one of the NMP’s stars. He grew up in the direst of circumstances in America’s mid-west. His mother was in prison for killing his father and as a boy he was shunted from one relative to another until mentors became involved in his life.

“From the start I was expected to lose, recalls Mr. Garrett. “Everything I have right now is mostly because I defied what the world concluded about me before I could even speak a word in my defense.

“And my defense is that I am just as capable as any person to do great things. Like you, I think about all the things this world could achieve if only every child was given the right tools. Mentoring is the right tool.”

He has already amply demonstrated that by graduating from HowardUniversity in Washington and then winning a scholarship to law school in Nebraska.

Before the NMP was launched 20 years ago, Geoff Boisi and Ray Chambers, the two philanthropists who founded the organisation, set out to canvass opinion among the youth of America by personally interviewing them at various boys and girls clubs in several US states. They wanted to find out what they really felt was missing from their lives and how it could be addressed.

Two universal themes emerged from their endeavours. The children said they wanted to be part of the “American Dream” but felt they had been excluded. They also wanted more adult contact in their lives, not less. Mr. Boisi and Mr. Chambers concluded that a lack of caring adult role models to guide and support young people was at the heart of the problem. Mentoring was believed to be the most effective way of meeting those twin needs.

But it’s not just the deprived that needs help. Even privileged youngsters may be suffering similar pressures, albeit of a different nature. Unlike the under-privileged, they may be battling a surfeit of parental involvement to such an extent that it is stunting their development and ability to grow-up.  It’s a tendency that may have been exacerbated by the arrival of the mobile phone – what some have dubbed the world’s longest umbilical cord. There is even a new Google programme called Latitude that allows the over-protective to track their children’s every movement.

The rising cost of private education and university fees has reinforced this phenomenon known as “helicopter parenting” – the alpha parents who just cannot let go of their children – or rather their precious investment. Some even insist on accompanying their offspring to university careers fairs, quizzing prospective employers and generally interfering in every aspect of their children’s lives. All this bodes very badly for society, warns Frank Furedi, professor of sociology at Kent University, England. It will lead to its “infantilisation”.

American clinical psychologist Madeline Levine and author of The Price of Privilege, agrees: “Kids are unbearably pressured not just to be good, but to be great; not just to be good at something, [but] to be good at everything.”

Those pressures are something that Anthony Seldon, headmaster of WellingtonCollege, one of Britain’s top private schools, based in Crowthorne, Berkshire, is acutely conscious of and why shortly after his arrival at the school he implemented happiness classes for pupils aged between 14 and 16.

Britain recently came bottom of a UNICEF survey of life satisfaction among children in 21 developed economies, something that Professor Seligman, on a visit to the UK school in 2008 to attend a conference on positive psychology, slated as “a national disgrace”.

Dr Seldon, a well-known political biographer and no intellectual slouch, believes that “the toxic obsession” by Britain’s educational establishment with endless exams and tests is partly to blame. It has obscured something far more important he says – namely the overwhelmingly important task of producing happy and well-adjusted young adults.

“Celebrity, money and possessions are often the touchstones for teenagers and yet these are not where happiness lies,” says Dr Seldon, who believes that happiness classes should be more widely available and not just for his wealthy young charges.

The classes, which have been running for three years, have proved popular with both parents and pupils. Even teachers, some of whom were initially skeptical, believing that the scheme might be a PR stunt, aimed at overcoming bad publicity over previous instances of bullying among pupils, are now positive about the benefits.

The classes were put together with the involvement of Nick Baylis, a psychologist and co-director of recently established Well-being Institute at CambridgeUniversity and run by Ian Morris and the rest of the school’s Religious Education staff. The courses involve meditation as well as discussions about happy and successful lives and overcoming adversity, not only dealing with situations arising in school, for example, one pupil being unpleasant to another, but also through exploration of famous inspirational lives. The example of Lance Armstrong, who overcame cancer to win the Tour de France, is a reoccurring topic.

Coach Christine Miller also believes that instilling resilience into her young clients is crucial to their well-being. She has a Masters degree in psychology, is a qualified therapist and transpersonal coach, with Master Practitioner training in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), hypnosis and Time Line Therapy, designed to release negative emotions.

“I coach them in accelerated learning techniques, learning how to learn, coupled with building rapport and learning to read other people’s body language through non-verbal intelligence and thereby assess the response they are getting.”

Ms Miller believes that family breakdown and the decline of extended families are part of the reason why she has found a receptive market for her work. “There are fewer elders for children to go to for help and guidance. At one time, it used to be that if you had a disagreement with your mother or father, you could probably find a relative – an aunt, uncle or grandparent to go and talk things over with, and get the benefit of some wise, impartial advice, or at least step out of the situation to gain perspective, but these days we’re more spread out, much busier and children can end up being very isolated with their problems.”

Her work is centred on children and young people, aged between seven and 18 and usually involves 10 to 12 sessions. The cost is kept to the equivalent of other extracurricular activities such as music lessons and Ms Miller also undertakes pro bono work for problem children, whose parents cannot afford such fees.

“I tend to get sent the kids who are in trouble – about to be excluded from school, having problems at home, and I’m often something of a last stop before they get referred to the EPS [Education Psychology Service.] “

Often her young clients have behavioural problems and have been violent and aggressive.

Other times, there’s sadness and depression. They may have been bullied or the perpetrator of bullying, or are under-achieving academically. But not everyone can be helped. “I do choose my clients – I do an assessment or a trial session from which I can these days quickly determine if someone is coachable – and I have very firm boundaries in place.”

She tried to involve the whole family, wherever possible because they often play a key role in a child’s behaviour. Often they are merely conforming to the family stereotype that has been set for them, such as the “naughty child”, “the difficult one”, and the “not-too-bright one”. Uncovering those unseen influences is crucial if the child is to change, she explains.

One mother brought her 17 year old daughter to see Ms Miller and dominated the conversation, hardly allowing her daughter to speak. “She simply criticised and poured out a catalogue of the ills that she saw in her child.”

“When I got to spend time with the girl, she told me that her mum wouldn’t let her do anything that 17 year old girls usually do – wear make up, go shopping, go to discos, (she’d been prevented from going to the sixth form dance then been criticised for not having friends). Films, and boyfriends were totally taboo as well.”

What Ms Miller did in handling this difficult situation, which in essence involved an extremely dominant and intolerant father, was to teach the daughter rapport-building and negotiation skills. “I also helped her find some inner resources and build a resourceful state.” She also worked on the mother to impress upon her husband how intelligent, strong and resourceful the daughter really was.

Confidentiality is a delicate issue with children – parents sometimes expect full feedback, something that can inhibit what a child will share in the sessions, so Ms Miller operates a policy of something called ‘informed forced consent’ which means that everything remains confidential unless there is a perceived danger to the child in doing so.

“Obviously, if there were to be concerns about safety then the ethical guidelines by which I am bound  [those of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)] would come into play and appropriate action taken,” she says.

 “My job is essentially to help these young people find peace and happiness and a stimulus to succeed in their lives, whatever the definition of a successful outcome may be. In the extreme cases, I help them to pause, to stop and think before they break that window, smash the chair, hit someone or even draw that knife.”

Often her clients – who are there at either their parents’ or teachers’ request – don’t want to be there. “They’re what I call hostages – and winning their confidence and trust is of key importance, so whatever we do has to be relevant and engaging.”

It’s important to find out what they  want – what do they  believe would make their lives better, not just what the school or the parents think should be happening. “In the beginning I help them find something they’re good at – and there always is something, some memory of a moment they felt really good about, then we build on that as a resource.”

There are explorations and visualizations and her young charges are taught simple self-management  techniques based on martial arts and sports, some accelerated learning methods such as  learning to count to ten in Japanese in five minutes, and practical skills like mind-mapping which help to integrate the hemispheres of the brain. All this is designed to help build their confidence and sense of self and get real world results.

It’s a delicate process working with younger children, because the balance of power is crucially important since they possess little in the way of autonomy. “It’s not helpful to any one if they resent being with me,  so I always include an element of choice and am flexible, making space for them to suggest what they might want to do.”

Storytelling is a key feature, and creating metaphors to express what it feels like when they are in different states of mind, because if they create their story, in their own words, they are not going to argue with or resist their own creations, and this will often lead to big breakthroughs and self-discovery.

It is important to make the experience as natural and enjoyable as possible, explains Ms Miller. “Laughter tends to be a common factor, we play music, do drawings, and we use the computer for games and to watch ways of handling different behaviour scenarios.”

There are homework tasks, but not too many or too onerous. It is part of building a habit of accountability, she says. “The main factor is to offer them what Carl Rogers described as ‘unconditional positive regard’, completely non-judgemental, to be a mirror so they can see themselves as worthwhile, as lovable, and as loved.”

 Any such engagement involves a degree of discussion over outcomes: what is clearly achievable and what is unrealistic and how such outcomes might be recognised by Ms Miller and her clients and their carers. But the best outcomes involve getting phone calls weeks, months, or even years after the coaching experience informing her of the success of past clients, whether that means staying off drugs, passing exams or finding the inner resilience to deal with bullying.

Feedback comes from parents, from teachers and most importantly from the children themselves. If previous academic failure is involved, then improved school reports are usually a good benchmark that the intervention is working.

“Sometimes the mere fact that the child is turning up at school or that they haven’t been excluded since we began working together is a good indicator of success,” says Ms Miller. So too are reports of fewer arguments between child and parents.

But success is on a limited scale in a society where so many children are beset by emotional and behavioural difficulties.

“I would like to spread my work much further,” says Ms Miller, who would like to share her skills with schools.

Resourceful States and Children

Resourceful States and Children

Resilience is widely noted as of particular importance in children, where external risk factors such as loss or separation, life changes,  and traumatic events can increase the probability of some children developing problems. Clients and therapists using Resourceful State techniques have reported improvements is areas such as:

  • Self esteem
  • Concentration
  • Communication
  • Relationships
  • Therapeutic alliance

Self-esteem, a sense of identity, strong family relationships and good communications with teachers and peer groups are widely acknowledged as key elements in children who are resilient, and such protective processes may counteract an increase in risk factors in vulnerable children.

Many clients will benefit from the possibility of increased self-esteem, better communication skills and improved relationships.

Experience and apply the benefits of Resourceful State with Christine Miller, MA, author of the forthcoming book “Resourceful Intelligence”, and featured in The Economist Guide to Coaching & Mentoring for her work with Children & Young People
More Info Here

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Coaching & Mentoring

Christine cropResourceful Coaching & Mentoring with Christine Miller MA FRSA

With a varied and successful career across a range of roles and sectors over 25 years, Christine Miller now focuses mainly on developing leadership, encouraging personal growth and fostering untapped potential in others.

 

A coach and mentor for almost twenty years, Christine has trained extensively through various disciplines in human potential, coaching, leadership development and psychology, including Solutions Focused, Transpersonal, Clean Language, NLP and Person-centred, ultimately developing her own Resourceful Intelligence (RQ) methodology and programmes through a two year Masters degree in Psychology which was awarded a distinction.

This variety and rigour means she can offer a comprehensive approach which covers any issues clients may have in their business and personal lives, and she is committed to and passionate about helping people achieve their true potential.

Her breadth of knowledge, experience and empathy enable her to carefully elicit and understand her clients’ needs. From there, she rapidly creates a fertile space of trust and caring where they explore their current state, future outcomes and essential actions for personal and professional growth and achievement of their desired goals.

As an entrepreneur, consultant and business owner, who has also spent time in the corporate environment heading large teams, Christine clearly sees the challenges facing executives and leaders in positions of great responsibility, and the pressures they experience. Her strategic thinking capabilities, creativity, compassion and vision lend powerful insights to the coaching and mentoring experience she offers.

She believes in the vital importance of effective communication, openness, authenticity, and in identifying values, meaning and purpose in life. This enables her clients to gain clarity, build better relationships, have greater engagement, and live in richer more fulfilled ways so that they can express their potential, love what they do,  and enjoy the successful and well-rounded lives they desire.

Christine acted as Principal of Erickson College in London for three years, bringing their Executive Coaching and Leadership Development programmes to the UK in 2004. She is currently working with the Centre for Progressive Leadership at City Business School, London, where she is a Fellow, on advancing the agenda for transforming 21st Century Leadership and Management.

Please contact Christine for an initial exploratory chat via the schedule or contact forms below. 

What People Say About Christine Miller


“Your questions provoke many new thoughts and creative ideas, you are an ‘agent provocateur’, and in our conversations you are able to reach parts no-one else does.”
Tony Buzan, Multi-million bestselling author of over 90 books, speaker and inventor of Mind Maps,  the world’s foremost expert on thinking visually, and a leading lecturer on the brain and learning.


I spent an inspiring afternoon with Christine, and her magic for me is that her guidance appears effortless – to the point I felt that I was coming up with all these wonderful visions on my own. In fact, it was Christine’s caring and intuitive guidance gently taking me to a place I would never have reached without her. Those who know Christine already will understand me when I say that with Christine’s help I have seen a realistic vision of my own future. Thanks Christine – and I look forward to working with you for a long time to come.
Richard Flewitt, Business Video Producer, New Edge


Christine is seriously well connected to leading humans all over the world.
Hugely progressive individual: Well informed, insightful.
She listens with care and she offers wise words after deep thought.
I can’t recommend her enough.
Thomas Power , Chairman, Ecademy


I had a wonderful coaching experience with Christine.  She rapidly created a safe, trusting space with ease which felt very connected, from there anything was possible.  It was both a connection of spirit, almost beyond words and time, while also being very grounded, staying with real issues.  This allowed me to be able to access my knowing and find my own solutions.  It was a really spiritual experience and, in my experience, one that is all too rare!”
Tiffany Gaskell MBA CPCC, Executive Director, Performance Consultants International


Christine is a remarkable and effective communicator who is able within normal conversation to draw the very best of me out. Through the simple use of inquiry, gentle challenge and feedback, she proves to be incisive and directive towards my better understanding of self and situation. Each time we talk, work together or enjoy the other’s company, Christine always delivers the beauty of a well-trained intellect and systems aware thought process; she is one clever lady!
Benn Abdy-Collins, Medical Herbalist | Well-Being Facilitator | Mentor & Coach | Speaker | Facilitator | Writer


Thank you for your warmth and insight, your words brought tears to my eyes and allowed me to see what I can do to change the issues which have been haunting me for so long.
A.P., Coach, London


Over the past several months Christine and I have engaged in meaningful life and business related conversations.  Enlightening and inspirational, Christine’s style of coaching and mentoring is creative, intuitive and futuristic.  She is ethical, has integrity and respected by colleagues worldwide who seek her  wisdom and viewpoint. Christine’s understanding and knowledge of the intricacies in global business is exemplary. I highly recommend Christine Miller as a Mentor and Consultant.
Alana Mitchell, Mentor, Business, Life & Executive Coach, Consultant & Inspirational Speaker 


It’s scary having conversations with some people at some times, in part because of the subject and in part because of what you discover about yourself or your business. But it’s also highly enlightening to find someone who both appears to have capability, and actually can. What you will find when engaging Christine is an all-round ability, and one which will focus but which can move between her broad and diverse capabilities. We have never yet talked about the other side of her interests, but in business her people focused centre and base training, combined with practical business running experience and strategic insight, has brought me both personal and business value. I thoroughly recommend that if you think Christine might be able to help you or your business, that you pick-up the phone sooner rather than later – you will not be disappointed!
Ian R. McAllister, MBA, Recruiter and Professional CV Writer 


I’ve learned that I’m very important. I’m not just somebody who walks around everyday doing nothing. I’m really important. That as well.
K.M., 10 year-old coaching client


The time I spent with you was really valuable and useful – I’ve seen a lot of coaches and therapists, and what we did together was a real eye-opener for me – I learned a lot about myself.
K.A., Journalist & Broadcaster, London


In half an hour with you, I’ve moved further than I had in hours of therapy before, you have really made a huge difference.
M. P- B., teacher & bereavement counselling client, Kent


Thank you for helping me to break through, it was a truly profound experience, I have worked with a number of therapists, and never really got to the heart of what was holding me back.
Beverley J., coaching client, Hertfordshire


I left you feeling lighter and clearer, and the experience of dealing with the feelings about my childhood seemed to let me really be myself, maybe for the first time in 15 years.
Charles B., coaching client, London


Christine has not only quality in her work but every ounce of her being is designed to make human potential increase. Very few people have this gift.  One in a million.
Nigel Risner, CEO, Nigel Risner, Britain’s Top Motivational Speaker, Winning Business Magazine; Academy for Chief Executives Speaker of the Year


resourceful_state_coaching“Helping people to grow into their potential and have a balanced life is one of my major passions.
I always say, though, that only you, yourself, can choose to make the changes needed to achieve what you want.

I’m there to help and support, and if you come to work with me you learn quickly that you are the one in charge of your own life!

That way YOU hold the power to be, do and have whatever you desire.”

CMgoldsig

Please schedule an appointment below to talk about the options available. 

Strategic, Executive and Business Coaching

For professional and personal development. 

Small Business Coaching and Training – The Resourceful Entrepreneur

Designed to liberate the very best in you so you can become who you want to be in your business and life.
Based on Christine’s ‘Resourceful Entrepreneur’ book 

Career Coaching – The Resourceful Candidate

For you if you want to start your career or change your job and find your ideal role but aren’t sure how. 

Special Coaching Programmes for Children & Young People

Based on Christine’s extensive research and practice and featured in The Economist Guide to Coaching & Mentoring. (PDF) 

For all coaching and mentoring enquiries, please fill in the contact form below or click on the button to schedule an appointment.

Comments or questions are welcome.

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