Mark C

I started seeing Sarah as a coach around Jan 2024, when it was confirmed I was moving to Chile for promotion at work. She was recommended to me by a friend who told me about [Sarah's] own experience moving countries, including to South America, so I decided to give it a go.

 I've never seen a psychologist, I grew up with the mentality that being a "strong bloke" means you don’t show or talk about feelings. So this was definitely out of my comfort zone. However I split with my girlfriend last year, which was pretty rough in itself so thought it was a good idea to prepare for the change.

 Sarah has been great - it's really helped to plan for the move, not just working through the physical logistics like moving your stuff, renting the house, getting an international drivers licence etc., but also the emotional side of things. Considering how I felt about it, what were my expectations, some of my fears/doubts about the move not working out. Saying goodbye to people. To be honest I'd not really given much thought to these things, but felt uneasy that I hadn't, if that makes sense.

 Sarah really helped in getting my head into the right space to make the move, understanding there were uncertainties, getting comfortable with them. She also gave me some tools on leadership (stepping up), goal setting (short and long term) and problem solving. She's a great listener, and since I've arrived she's also been a sounding board regarding interactions with colleagues at work, cultural differences, and how I can have more effective conversations when things get lost in translation. We’ve discussed some strategies for managing change, and practised listening skills that have helped me manage difficult relationships and situations (wish I had done this earlier).

 We had six sessions together and to be honest, for me it's been sufficient. We've agreed to keep the lines open if I ever get stuck or just want to work through a specific issue - good to have someone objective to talk to. Moving is difficult, but with her support it's been a lot easier than it would've been. I highly recommend Sarah to anyone who's considering moving countries or making a big life change.