Alison: the person behind the coach
From bedbound to climbing in the hills—I know what it feels like to reclaim life.
The first time I climbed to the cairn in the Campsie Fells above my home, and looked down across the central belt, from Glasgow to the Forth Rail Bridge, was exhilarating and emotional: I wept
I have always loved being outdoors. I’m a passionate gardener and nature lover who especially enjoys walking in the hills, but after years of pushing through mounting symptoms, my body finally said, “No more.” Daily tasks, even brushing my hair, became a challenge. Pain moved around my body unpredictably, making me wonder whether the doctors were right and it was “all in my head.” At my worst, I was completely dependent and bedbound, and I thought my life was over. Any movement brought on palpitations and on one occasion I was 'blue lighted’ to hospital with atrial fibrillation. I really thought I was going to die. Sitting on the sofa, day after day, the thought that I might never tend my garden or climb in the hills again was another kind of pain altogether.
Through this all I managed to hang on to a spark of rebellion against the constant advice to adapt to this half-life. “There must be a way out of this!” I was lucky to find The Chrysalis Effect online recovery programme, and with the love and support of fellow recoverers, family, and friends, I gradually rebuilt my strength. I am now fully recovered, with no symptoms since 2022, and have fulfilled a 20-year dream: returning to live in Scotland, where I am developing a new garden at the foot of the Campsie Fells. I am enjoying stretching my body and have even learned to kayak!
For someone who had been repeatedly told to adjust to their exhaustion and pain, reaching that summit felt like achieving the impossible. Since then, I’ve also learned to kayak and spend time paddling in the sea and Scottish lochs, feeling the calm and flow of the water. This is always a reminder of how much life and joy is possible when we rebuild our bodies and reconnect with nature. For the first time in my life I am enjoying the normal experience of breathlessness through exercise.
After reaching full recovery, I was given a bursary to train with The Chrysalis Effect's ILM accredited course as a trauma informed wellbeing coach. I went on to train as a specialist recovery practitioner with the programme. This training brought together a lifetime of qualifications and experiences, including qualifying as a nurse and a nurse researcher, which I had previously thought were signs of a series of 'failed' careers. I now see them as steps towards my current work as a recovery specialist. Each step has given me skills, knowledge and insights through a wide range of life experiences that I offer my clients.
Having reached what once seemed unattainable, it is now an even greater joy to share what I have learned and to support others who are treading that same difficult path.
How my journey shapes my coaching
Before becoming a coach, I trained and worked as a nurse, caring for patients in some of their most vulnerable moments. Later, I became a carer for my parents, which gave me an intimate understanding of the emotional, physical, and practical challenges that long-term caregiving can bring, especially when combined with being a mother. These experiences, professional and personal, deeply inform how I support my clients today. I support people through recovery because I understand the isolation, fear, and frustration that chronic illness can bring. I know what it’s like to feel stuck, to plateau, and to wonder if life will ever feel meaningful again.
My own experience of illness and recovery has taught me that the deepest shifts happen when we explore what lies beneath the symptoms: the hidden patterns, unspoken trauma, and ways our bodies hold on to stress and pain. During my recovery, I gradually recognised the role trauma had played in shaping some of my symptoms. Gabor Maté’s book, When the Body Says No, was a game changer in understanding and addressing the deep roots of my illness. This understanding gave me a new perspective on the patterns of exhaustion, pain, and overwhelm that I, and many others, experience. After beginning work as a coach, I trained in Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry®, an approach to working with trauma that combines gentle curiosity with deep listening to uncover hidden emotional and bodily patterns. Integrating this approach allows me to support clients in exploring how past experiences may influence their health and recovery, in a safe and compassionate way.
The skills of the Compassionate Inquiry® approach infuse all my work. This isn’t just a technique, it’s how I listen deeply to both body and mind, helping uncover the roots of patterns and symptoms that often remain unseen. It allows insight, healing, and self-compassion to emerge naturally.
Neurodivergence awareness: understanding hidden patterns
Many people with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and other chronic exhaustion conditions have traits of ADHD, Autism, or combined profiles, often unrecognised or misdiagnosed, especially in women. Neurodivergence can contribute to exhaustion and the feeling of being “different” or constantly out of step. Imagine trying to operate life with Mac software in a world built for PCs: this gives a sense of the extra energy needed to keep up.
In 2024, I completed an FHT-accredited qualification with The Chrysalis Effect to deepen my understanding of neurodivergent clients. During this training, I became aware of my own combined Autism and ADHD traits (AuDHD), which gave me a personal insight into the ways neurodivergence can shape energy, focus, and life experience.
This training enables me to:
🌿 Recognise when neurodivergence may be contributing to chronic exhaustion
🌿 Explore how your neurodivergent traits show up in your life
🌿 Support you in understanding and harnessing your brain’s differences to aid recovery
🌿 Offer guidance on whether a formal assessment or referral might be helpful
What I bring to our work together
When we work together, I bring:
🌿 Lived experience – I’ve been where you are and fully understand the challenges
🌿 Professional and personal caregiving insight – I understand the experience of illness and vulnerability as a sufferer and as a carer
🌿 Empathy and insight – I notice patterns, guide gently, and help you see what may be holding you back
🌿 A safe space – non-judgmental, compassionate, and supportive
🌿 Perspective and practical guidance – tools to reconnect with your body, your energy, and your life, at a pace that works for you
Recovery isn’t a distant destination, it’s about discovering what’s possible for you now.
Life beyond coaching
Outside of my work, I spend as much time as I can outdoors, walking, climbing, gardening, and paddling in the lochs. These moments of movement and connection to nature remind me what it feels like to be fully in my body. They continue to inform how I support the people I work with. Noticing small wins, reconnecting with pleasure, and cultivating resilience are lessons I bring from my own life into every coaching session.
Moments in nature remind me what it feels like to be fully in my body, and these lessons inform every session I offer.
Visit my YouTube Channel to find out more
Alison's recovery story. Part of a conference presentation.
Alison's journey through the 6 phases of recovery.
Facebook livestream.
Protecting myself and my clients
My professional code of ethics
As a coach and specialist recovery practitioner, I have a duty of care to my clients and to myself. This means setting, and abiding by, clear boundaries.
I am a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCCUK and EMCC Global) and abide by their code of ethics.
As a specialist practitioner with The Chrysalis Effect I also work with in that organisation's Code.
I am happy to supply these documents on request.
Supervision and self-care
As a coach, I work with people who have lived through, or are currently experiencing extremely difficult situations. Some of these overlap with my own life experiences. It is therefore essential that I am well supported, and so I receive regular supervision. During these sessions client confidentiality is maintained, but I have the opportunity to seek advice and support around challenging situations I encounter. In this I am following good professional practice and fulfilling my obligations within my codes of practice.
I engage in supervision both through The Chrysalis Effect and EMCCUKMy own recovery taught me to honour my own health and wellbeing above all else. Without my health I cannot help others. I have built my business around this core principle and seek to offer a positive role model for my clients. This means keeping careful professional boundaries both in my relationships with clients and between my working and personal hours. This is reflected in the Coaching Agreement we both sign before starting work together, and in my Terms and Conditions.
Insurance
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