TESTIMONIALS
I was fortunate to be able to take early retirement in 2018. It was time for me to start a new adventure, something completely different. I came up with the idea to retrain as a coach and also to start an online boutique. I working with Doreen throughout the year, and her coaching skills, enthusiasm and energy have been priceless in enabling me to gain focus, prioritise and feel empowered to reach my ultimate goals. Both projects move at a different pace, but Doreen’s flexibility has allowed me to work on projects in parallel and stay on track. Doreen’s easy style and authenticity enabled me to relax, trust and really share my fears, which enabled me to work on what might stop me from achieving my goals. I would highly recommend Doreen’s coaching services.
TRACY H
I have known Doreen Sinclair-McCollin for about 10 years.
She has exceptional motivational skills and promotes strong, supportive teamwork that delivers real change.
It was a pleasure working with her.
PAULINE A.
Head Teacher and Assistant Director of Children's Services (prior to retirement in 2015)
The coaching session that I received was very beneficial, enabling me to look positively at the plans for my future and also to actively work towards them.
It provided me with the skills and confidence to believe that certain changes are possible, and it changed my way of thinking for the better.
I would have no hesitation in receiving additional coaching from Doreen at another point in time.
PATRICIA L
When Doreen and I started our sessions, I only had a vague idea of what it was that I wanted to achieve, and it was through her questioning that I managed to clarify my big goal and really start working on making it happen. I was basically at the point when I needed a push to start a new chapter of my life, and Doreen has done exactly that, challenging me in the most positive way. Not only did each session end with the clear action plan, but I also left feeling energised – I knew what I wanted to do and why I wanted to do it.
Doreen is a very supportive and non-judgemental coach, who always made me feel completely safe. Overall, I feel like Doreen helped me to begin a journey towards my big goal, and it’s thanks to her that I now feel confident enough to continue it on my own.
DOMINIKA K
My coach showed commitment to my future, facilitating ideas and creative solutions. Doreen’s coaching style is professional, warm, compassionate and supportive.She is committed to me as a person, and this is invaluable when helping me to realise my potential. Doreen understood how much was at stake during this process, and yet she never, once, influenced my thinking. She expertly guided and supported me. I felt engaged, energised and empowered to move forward after each session. This has been a wonderful empowering experience that has set me on the path I have long dreamt about but did nothing to achieve it. It is now very real and attainable.
JOAN H
When I started working with Doreen, I was feeling overwhelmed by the different things going on in my life, from thinking of the next stage to take my career to my well-being and relationships.
Because I could trust Doreen as my coach, I was able to talk about my goals openly without feeling that I would be judged or ridiculed. The questions Doreen asked allowed me to think more deeply about what I really wanted and what has stopped me from getting what I want. I found this quite challenging but, also, eye-opening. Over the sessions, I was able to calmly work out plans for reaching my goals in a way that gave me a clearer vision of my future and a structure for how to get there. I now feel energised, focused and positive.
CHRIS R
I have known Doreen since 2001 and have had the honour of mentoring her when she joined Southwark Education. I have watched her grow over the years as she has worked across the different education phases of Primary, Secondary and Alternative Provision (AP), as well as offering Positive Behaviour Management support to schools, AP’s and Further Education establishments in her role as a Behaviour Specialist.
Doreen has significant strengths as a leader. She is able to motivate and work with staff and stakeholders of whichever school she leads or supports to create a positive climate consistent with the vision and values of the school.
Doreen had an excellent rapport with young people, supporting them well through mentoring and coaching in order to get them to experience success through managing their own behaviour. Her commitment to raising standards for young people is extremely prominent in all the work she does. Since becoming an educationalist, her own vision is to help young people to become emotionally intelligent and socially responsible individuals who set and achieve the highest standards for themselves. She continues to strive towards this vision with the support of parents, with whom she has an excellent relationship, and with external agencies who are working directly with the young people.
I would highly recommend Doreen to work with and support any educational establishment.
DEVON H. (Retired Head Teacher)
Doreen brings a wealth of exceptional and significant experiences to the role of Head Teacher. She is extremely passionate about the work that she does and demonstrates excellent insight regarding the important role that primary schools play in preparing pupils to have good self-belief, to communicate effectively and to face the challenges that life has to offer them as they get older. Doreen’s skills and expertise as a Head Teacher will be invaluable for any school.
LUBNA K
Head Teacher
Doreen was interested in finding out about me as a person and where I was stuck in life. I found her practical, clear and direct. She gave me interesting exercises that helped me clarify my goals and supported me in trying to achieve them.
SARAH J
I have been supported by Doreen in a professional capacity as my mentor. I regularly received a satisfactory outcome for my formal lesson observations and was assigned support from Doreen to help me to improve my teaching. She started off by modelling an ‘outstanding’ literacy lesson in my class; we then worked together team teaching the following week. I was set specific targets by Miss Sinclair that she wanted to see executed during my next observation.
Miss Sinclair’s approach to supporting me was great! She got me to identify three areas of strength that had a positive impact on my pupils learning during each observation, and two areas that required further development.
I reflected a lot on the feedback I received and made the necessary changes suggested. I can now proudly say that my teaching is now consistently judged as good during formal observations.
Mr KENNY O
I had two 90-minute sessions with Doreen. Having received basic coaching skills, I had a good idea of what to expect. In a way, this meant Doreen really needed to do well to impress me.
Her approach was extremely professional, and I immediately found myself reflecting and looking at my situation from a more pragmatic problem-solving approach. Through her tuition, I was able to readily identify my own shortcomings and use her strategies to explore and define what needed to be done within a predetermined time frame.
After the first session, I found myself looking forward to the second one. It can be somewhat refreshing speaking your thoughts aloud and receiving encouragement and coaxing of a non-judgemental nature to go forward and convert your thoughts into actions. I had a fairly good idea what I wanted to happen, but it was great to actually explore the process fully, to make sure all eventualities were explored and agreed upon.
It was not evident that Doreen was indeed training. She was very relaxed and comfortable in the role. I have asked her if I could indeed have some more sessions as I found them highly beneficial and satisfyingly therapeutic.
I would definitely urge others to undergo coaching sessions with Doreen. She will definitely build confidence and resilience in the most grounded of procrastinators out there.
Thank you so much for your time, Doreen. It was definitely time well spent.
OTIS W
