Kate Harrison

What attracted you to becoming an Alumni member of the Henley Centre for Coaching?

Having trained at Henley I already knew a lot of the staff, the wider community and my fellow alumni, so I wanted to stay in touch. It’s a big advantage to be able to go to the networking meetings and in-person events.

I was also aware of the wide range of resources that are available in the Henley Centre for Coaching. I know that the resources keep growing and there are materials that I want to go back to – the Insight Guides for example, I can go back and check on GDPR and make sure I’m doing that right. I’m an enthusiastic member.

The main pulse of my connection with Henley is the Henley Huddles; they are really worth the time. I put them in my calendar at the start of the year so I know when they are. I know I will reconnect with some of my old alumni colleagues. It’s a relatively social chit-chat, you can relax in a mutually supportive space, it’s not competitive. There are interesting questions and conversations; it’s a really lovely way of feeling connected with other people.

How has membership helped you personally and professionally?

Personally, it’s keeping me engaged, enthused and alive with my coaching practice. Professionally, the webinars are a really great resource for my continuing professional development. They are useful for building your CCEUs; a huge proportion of them come from Henley training. When I’ve missed a webinar, I know I can go back and watch the recording.Membership has helped to build my network; I’m now connected with lots of people on LinkedIn and that’s really useful. Some of the advice that’s come up is great, e.g. coaching platforms; that was incredibly useful to get the lowdown on the coaching platforms, the ones I need to focus on, the pitfalls, the dos and don’ts – incredibly helpful.

Accreditation

This is a question that comes up in Henley Huddles and there are resources on Henley Live about it. I like the accountability; other people are saying I must get accredited, so it’s keeping my feet to the fire, encouraging me to get my accreditation. That’s an important next step for me, as I want to join some other coaching platforms.

Events

This year I’m really looking forward to CoachFest – the ‘month-long festival of coaching’, which is replacing the one-day conference. It will be a great way of getting access to a range of topics. Henley always brings in topics that I hadn’t thought of. Last year during the Conference, it was climate coaching. It was a really interesting area that, without Henley, I wouldn’t have thought of. Bootcamp is another resource that’s really useful in getting your business started for people who have just qualified.

What advice would you give to someone considering Henley Centre for Coaching membership?

Do it. I think it’s great value for money. When you qualify, you have to think about being a member of a professional body for accreditation and Henley may feel like another cost – but actually it’s not that much and it gives you access to such a wide range of resources, it’s worth it